11.05.15 Cracking The Qur An Code Second Edition 2011 PDF

CRACKING THE QUR'AN CODE
monumental...masterpiece...phenomenal
"I am really delighted to know about the new book Cracking the Qur'an Code, a monumental
work devoted to clearing up Muslim misunderstandings about our Jewish brothers. This book
will go a long way in bringing together Muslims and Jews, by highlighting the common
traditions and values that bind us together. I congratulate you on this masterpiece and wish you
all the best. Please keep in touch and continue your great work. It is really phenomenal".
balkanisationofpakistan.rsfblog.org/archive/2010/04/23/review-of-cracking-the-qur-an-code-byfazal-ur-rehman-afridi.html
Cracking the Quran Code: Gods Land, Torah and People Covenants with Israel in the
Quran and Islamic Tradition, by Lowell Gallin, is a fascinating spiritual journey through good
and evil, with all the real actors, places, and situations depicted in such a manner as if the reader
is part of a journey beginning with Noah, continuing from Ibrahim to Jacob, Joseph, Moses,
David, Solomon, Jesus and concluding with Muhammad.
When the reader finishes this book, he finds himself in the present day world together with
Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi and Dr. Asher Eder, preaching peace and understanding between the
Children of Ismail and Jacob. Cracking the Qur'an Code provides us with the great opportunity
of traveling on a fascinating spiritual and historical journey through the objective prism of
Quranic teachings.
This book is written in such a simple, sincere and mind-attracting manner that one cannot stop
reading it. A history starts unfolding in front of ones eyes. When you finish reading Cracking
the Qur'an Code, it has already captured your soul. This is a masterpiece, a pioneering work
which will go a long way in bringing the Muslim and Jewish religions and civilizations together,
or at least helping us to understand each other; to know about our shared roots, destiny, ideology,
history, struggles and values. It teaches us a very important lesson, focusing on the question,
'Why not come closer to each other based on shared commonalities rather than fighting over our
differences?'
In Cracking the Quran Code, we see a tremendous job of collecting precious pearls from
different seas of knowledge, with great wisdom and a sense of purpose. I believe that without
divine guidance this task would not have been accomplished.
This painstaking work really deserves admiration and applause. It is as if the author has sifted
through every page, every phrase and every word of the Holy Qu'ran, Torah and Tanach. He
searched thoroughly the contemporary literature to provide us with examples from the recent
history of the hate and love relationship between Arabs and Jews. He has presented truth. It is
through truth and objectivity and the spreading of unbiased information that we can bring
harmony and peace between different peoples, cultures, civilizations and religions, paving the
way to create a better world for our future generations.
The author gave full space to the views and grand works of his teachers, Dr. Asher Eder of
Jerusalem, Israel and Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi of Rome, Italy, even at the cost of repetition.
This shows the author's respect for his teachers and love for his friends.
Ironically, most non-Arab Muslims do not know about true Quranic teachings as the Qu'ran is in
Arabic and they have never read its translations into their mother tongues. It is difficult to
comprehend the Qur'an's translation from Arabic into other languages, without translations into
those languages of the classical commentaries of Qur'anic religious scholars. It is here that some
misguided Wahhabi scholars take advantage of ignorance among many Muslims to teach hate,
particularly to those Muslims whose language is not Arabic, such as we Pashtuns, for example.
Pashtuns do not know about original and un-tempered Islamic, Jewish and Christian history. We
are taught by these fanatic Wahhabis that Christians and Jews are infidels who deserve to be
hated, tortured and murdered. The situation is further complicated when translations of the
Quran and the teachings of Islam are manipulated by these Wahhabi pseudo-intellectuals and
power mongers for political purposes.
We have been taught or have found in whatever Islamic books we read, broadcast or published
by the Wahhabi dominated print and electronic media, that Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Benjamin
have been Muslim Prophets who have nothing to do with Jews. Even the term Bani-Israel
(Children of Israel) is used in an ambiguous manner to hide the truth from not only ordinary
ignorant people but from the educated classes as well. The Wahhabi mission is to deliberately
hide the truth of Islam and to highlight only differences and spread hatred.
Cracking the Quran Code is an excellent antidote to the distortions, ambiguities, and untruths
perpetrated by the Wahhabi 'Islamic' media. This book can correct, clarify and honestly explain
both the differences and commonalities of three great religions and civilizations, the Jewish, the
Christian and the Muslim.
Fazal-ur Rehman Afridi (Pakistan/France)
Journalist, Human Rights Activist and Writer
Khyber Institute for Strategic Studies
Paris-France
balkanisationofpakistan.rsfblog.org/
afridiparis@yahoo.fr
Fazal ur Rehman Afridi comes from the most dangerous region of the world, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan
(F.A.T.A.). This is the main global center of extremism and terrorism in Pakistan and around the world.
Education: Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.), specialization in marketing, distinction of being Gold Medalist
Worked as honorary Lecturer with the International Islamic University Islamabad (I.I.U.I) iiu.edu.pk/
Journalist, Writer and Human Rights Activist, Columnist for The Frontier Post, an English daily newspaper in Pakistan
thefrontierpost.com/
Former Executive Vice President, Pakistan International Human Rights Organization (P.I.H.R.O.) pihro.org/
Author, Bosnia and Herzegovina in the New Millennium
Member of research team on "Womens' Participation in Political and Public Life in Pakistan",
a project of International Women's Rights Action Watch-Asia Pacific (I.W.R.A.W.) iwraw-ap.org/
Editor, Human Rights Investigator, Khyber and Administrator, Author of booklet entitled, "Draconian Law of Frontier Crimes
Regulation of 1901, enforced in Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan (F.A.T.A.)". Worked actively for the rights of
the people in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan (F.A.T.A.), particularly in the field of women's rights.
Cracking the Qur'an Code

God's Land, Torah and People Covenants
with Israel in the Qur'an and Islamic Tradition
Second Edition
Lowell Joseph Gallin
Cracking the Qur'an Code:

God's Land, Torah and People Covenants
with Israel in the Qur'an and Islamic Tradition
Second Edition
Copyright 2011 (5771-5772) by Lowell Joseph Gallin
All rights reserved
Root and Branch Association, Ltd. (R&B) Cracking the Qur'an Code
Book Series, Volume One, Second Edition
An R&B Crossroads of Prophecy/Quantum Meta-Physics Book
Reporting the Redemption in Real Time
The Root and Branch Association, Ltd.
lowellgallin.com
lowellgallin@lowellgallin.com
I.S.B.N. 0-9630917-4-3
Table of Contents
Preface to the Second Edition
page 3
Praise for Cracking the Qur'an Code
page 5
Dedication
page 11
Acknowledgments
page 13
Prologue
page 15
Introduction
page 17
Section One - Dr. Asher Eder of Jerusalem, Israel
page 21
Peace is Possible between Ishmael and Israel according to the

Qur'an and the Tanach by Dr. Asher Eder
Section Two Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi of Rome, Italy
page 23
page 67
Chapter One Jerusalem: Three-Fold Religious Heritage for a

Contemporary Single Administration. Address to the Third International
Seminar on the Sources of Contemporary Law Jerusalem by
Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi. Jerusalem, Israel, July, 1996
page 69
Chapter Two Orthodox Islamic Perceptions of Jihad. Address to the

International Conference on Countering Suicide Terrorism, Institute for
Counter-Terrorism, Interdisciplinary Center, by Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi.
Herzlyia, Israel, February 20-23, 2000
page 79
Chapter Three Osama Bin Laden
page 97
Section Three The Sacred Verses: Selections from the Qur'an and the Tanach
page 101
Chapter One
God's Land Covenant with Israel
page 105
Chapter Two
God's Torah Covenant with Israel
page 217
Chapter Three
God's People Covenant with Israel
page 301
Chapter Four
Jerusalem: Eternal Capital of the Israelite Kingdom of

David and Solomon
page 321
Chapter Five
The Tabernacle and the First, Second and

Third Temples of Jerusalem of the Children of Israel
Section Four Central Asia
page 343
page 387
Chapter One From the Bosporus to the Borders of China:

One Hundred and Twenty Eight Million, Six Hundred and Seventy
Thousand Friends - The Pro-Jewish, Pro-Israel, Ethnic Turkic, Sunni
Muslim Majority Nations of the Middle East: Turkey; the Caucasus:
Azerbaijan; Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan by Lowell Joseph Gallin
page 389
Chapter Two From the Bosporus to the Borders of China:

128 Million Muslim Friends - Time for a Turkic-Israel Federation
by Lowell Joseph Gallin
page 411
Section Five
page 417
Chapter One Talk to Westchester-Rockland County Chapter of

the Zionist Organization of America on Sunday, January 16, 2011,
by Lowell Joseph Gallin
page 419
Chapter Two Message to Egyptian Freedom Fighters from an

American Israeli Jew, by Lowell Joseph Gallin
page 431
Conclusion
page 435
Bibliography
page 437
Resources
page 439
Endorsements
page 449
About the Root and Branch Association, Ltd.
Page 459
About the R&B Islam-Israel Fellowship
page 461
Media Interviews with Dr. Asher Eder and Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi
page 463
To Order More Copies of this Book
page 463
About the Author, Lowell Joseph Gallin
page 463
Preface to the Second Edition

The First Edition of Cracking the Qur'an Code was published on December 31, 2009, as an e-book.
Shortly thereafter, the first copy of the e-book was bought by, as a I found out later, Rabbi Yaakov
Kellman, Executive Director of J.E.R.N.Y., in Albany, New York. It meant a great deal to me to know
that I had published the first edition of my first book in 2009 (even if only a few hours before midnight
on the last day of the year), and that someone, somewhere, had bought the first copy. Thanks, Rav
Yaakov!
I would like to share with you some developments since then. Some are positive and some are not.
Remember that The Creator works out all for the fulfillment of His purposes (Translation: The Bad
Guys should realize, ultimately, you can't fight that City Hall in the Sky, so why make life difficult for
yourselves and the rest of us in the short term? Our team wins anyway and you lose).
The State of Israel, the Jewish People and friends worldwide lost two leaders in 2010: Herb Zweibon,
zl, founder and chairman of Americans for a Safe Israel; and Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bukhari, zl, Head of
the Uzbeke Muslim Community in Israel and a Council member of the Root and Branch Association's
Islam-Israel Fellowship. The Zweibons and my parents have been neighbors living a short distance
from each other, for decades. May the memories of Herb and Sheikh Abdul be for a blessing, and may
the Lord comfort the Zweibon and Bukhari families among all the mourners for Zion and Jerusalem.
Ted Belman of Israpundit.com http://www.israpundit.com/ introduced us to a Muslim Pathan professor,
and pro-Jewish and pro-Israel activist, living in Canada, Professor Salim Mansur. Please read Professor
Mansur's essay, Don't Blame Israel for Arab Failures, first published in The Toronto Sun on August
21, 2010:
http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/salim_mansur/2010/08/20/15091106.html
Please also read the following two encouraging items from The Jerusalem Post about pro-Jewish and
pro-Israel Muslims, Hawar Bazian of Kurdistan http://www.israelkurd.com/en/, and Hasan Afzal of
England http://www.britishmuslimsforisrael.com/BMFI/Welcome.html:
Israel, Our Ally, by Ksenia Svetlova, The Jerusalem Post, Tuesday, August 31, 2010, interview with
Hawar Bazian, Editor of Israel-Kurd Magazine:
http://www.jpost.com/Features/InThespotlight/Article.aspx?id=186542
http://www.israelkurd.com/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=248:israelkurd&catid=37:interview
Help us help you: It's time for a hasbara rethink, says the director of British Muslims for Israel, by
Hazan Afzal, The Jerusalem Post, Thursday, April 28, 2011:
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=218130
Maikel Nabil Sanad http://www.maikelnabil.com/2007/12/welcome.html, Egyptian Coptic Christian

pro-democracy freedom fighter, and pro-Jewish and pro-Israel activist, has, like Joseph (please see
Sura Yusuf/Joseph, chapter twelve of the Qur'an) in ancient Egypt before him, been thrown into jail
by an Egyptian Government, in Maikel's case for refusing to serve in, and insulting (i.e., telling
unpleasant truths about) the Egyptian army:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/apr/11/egypt-blogger-gets-3-years-for-criticizing-army/.
Pray for Maikel's release, and remember what Mother Jones said, Pray for the dead, but fight like hell
for the living. Freedom fighters worldwide: Let's get Maikel out of jail.
We thank Joseph Farah of World Net Daily for publishing Joel Richardson's interview with Sheikh
Abdul Hadi Palazzi, A Muslim Zionist: Joel Richardson interviews sheikh who enthusiastically
supports Israel, on February 4, 2011:
A Muslim Zionist http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=259429#ixzz1MGuf5c58
Auch, Ein herzliches Dankeschn (Our heartfelt thanks) to Die Zeit for publishing Der zionistische
Imam: Scheich Abdul Hadi Palazzi setzt sich fr jdische Siedler ein, weil er den radikalen Islam
ablehnt, by Sven Behrisch, on January 7, 2011:
http://www.zeit.de/2011/02/GZ-Israel
Look to the horizon through the rest of 2011 (5771-5772) for more signs of an Emerging End Time
Alliance of Jewish, Christian and Muslim Zionists (and other friends who do not call themselves
Zionists - to each his own).
Sounds delusional to you? No problem!
Remember, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, neither His ear heavy, that it cannot
hear (Isaiah 59:1): http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt1059.htm
We conclude our Preface to the Second Edition of Cracking the Qur'an Code with a beloved song,
The Parting Glass, performed by Robin Williamson, the Cardiff Bard, singing as he plays the harp:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-m3oIu8hMc8
The Redemption, the real Redemption, when it comes, and it is coming - cosmic waves of Eternity
already lap at our feet - arrives with singing, dancing and rejoicing.
Let's start warming up that orchestra now. Together.
Jerusalem, Israel
Rosh Chodesh Nisan, 5771
April 5, 2011 C.E.
1 Jumada Al-Awwal, 1432 A.H.
4
Praise for Cracking the Qur'an Code

(please see Endorsements on page 449 for complete citations)
Dr. Navras Jaat Aafreedi
Cracking the Qur'an Code makes an important contribution to man's quest for peace, for Israel in
particular and the world at large. This book brings to the fore the real meaning of the qur'anic
references to Jews and Israel, through their correct interpretations by the most knowledgeable Qur'anic
commentators and translators. It sees misinterpretation of the Qur'an as the real basis for Muslim
antagonism towards Jews and Israel. This book is dedicated to two angels of peace, two brothers, in
spiritual heritage as well as in their mission of peace. One brother is descended from Isaac, Dr. Asher
Eder. The other brother is descended from Ishmael, Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi.
Dr. Navras Jaat Aafreedi (India)
Researcher in Indo-Judaic Studies & Jewish-Muslim Relations Activist
Indian Co-Founder and Co-Chairman,
Indian R&B Pathan-Israel Fellowship
http://sites.google.com/site/aafreedi/
openspacelucknow.blogspot.com
navrasaafreedi.blogspot.com
aafreedi@gmail.com
Dr. Sami Alrabaa

Cracking the Qur'an Code is a stimulating reminder that all of us, Arabs and Jews, are of the same
descent and stem from the same tree. We must all work hard to overcome selfish contemporary
political interests and focus on reconciliation. Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac are certainly sad when they
see from heaven how their grandsons and granddaughters are fighting and killing each other. I believe
that when both Arabs and Jews reflect on our historical roots, we will reconsider our current political
differences and conclude that peace is possible among brothers and sisters.
Dr. Sami Alrabaa (Germany)
Professor of Sociology; Author, Die Tyrannei der tausend Prinzen ("The Tyranny of a Thousand
Princes"); Karin in Saudi Arabia, Veiled Atrocities: True Stories of Oppression in Saudi Arabia
Dr. Richard Benkin

My human rights efforts to stop the religio-ethnic cleansing of non-Muslim populations in South Asia
has me entering the homes, villages, and refugee camps of radical jihads (Saudi Arabian
Wahhabism's) victims. At those times, it is not unusualor seemingly unreasonablefor the victims,
their families, and their defenders to give into the urge to blame Islam itself. The spirit of these
dedicated individuals, Dr. Eder and Sheikh Palazzi - who have been my teachers for several years helps us recognize that the perversion of the Quran Code, and not Islam itself, is our enemy.
Please, for the sake of us all, read Cracking the Quran Code!
Dr. Richard L. Benkin (United States)
drrbenkin@comcast.net
Founder, InterfaithStrength
interfaithstrength.com
President, Forcefield
Forcefieldnow.org
Dr. Asher Eder

Today's so-called East-West conflict between Christians and Muslims is at heart a religious conflict.
May this book open the eyes of: Muslim readers to reconnect with the pristine teachings of their sacred
scripture, the Qur'an; Western and Christian readers to see that the present path of violent jihad
proclaimed by many in today's Muslim world is not supported, and even ruled out, by the authentic
teachings of the Qur'an. 'Peace' activists to base their 'peace' activism on authentic religious teachings
to be found in Jewish, Christian and Muslim sacred scriptures and traditions. Attempts to bring 'peace'
between peoples that fail to address the deeper religious roots of conflict will continue to fail, as they
have always failed. May the Creator grace us all with His mercy and help.
Dr. Asher Eder (Israel)
Jewish Co-Founder and Co-Chairman,
Islam-Israel Fellowship, Root and Branch Association, Ltd.
avrason@netvision.net.il
Rabbi Yaakov Kellman

For the Jew and for the Muslim, Cracking the Qur'an Code removes the white elephant from the
closet, and finally we can work together to build a better world, while declaring with all our heart, soul
and might that Israel is the land given by God to the Jewish People, with Jerusalem as its eternal
capital.
The pro-Israel community owes eternal gratitude to Dr. Asher Eder and Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi, for
having the courage to walk proudly in partnership when others cower, with the integrity to persevere
down a path that was, until now, lonely and foreboding. Every page of this book bears witness to the
passion of their convictions, modeling relationships that speak volumes toward the healing of the
deepest planetary wounds.
Rabbi Yaakov Kellman (United States)
Executive Director,
Jewish Educational Resources of New York (J.E.R.N.Y.)
jernymail@jerny.org
theIsraelCenter.org
John Loftus
Every once in a while, a seminal text appears in Islamic-Judeo relations. Cracking the Qur'an Code is
such a book. Based on the teachings of the prominent Sufi cleric, Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi, perhaps
the leading Sunni Muslim cleric in Italy, if not all Europe; and an Israeli educator, Dr. Asher Eder, it
breaks new ground. More accurately, it reminds us all that we once stood upon the old common
ground, where Christians, Jews and Muslims respected each other as Peoples of the Book. This is a
book worth reading.
John J. Loftus, Esq. (United States)
President, Intelligence Summit
intelligencesummit.org
Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi

"It is an honor and a pleasure to send a message to welcome the presentation of Cracking the Qur'an
Code, a book on which my dearest friend Lowell Gallin has been working for years.
Cracking the Qur'an Code is a source which permits a deep understanding of how the Qur'an and
traditional Islamic sources confirm the right of the Jewish People to the Land of Israel. This books
helps readers refute opposite claims coming from Wahhabis and other extremist movements.
By studying Cracking the Qur'an Code, the reader will know how to answer those who try to distort
Islam in order to change it into a tool of anti-Israeli propaganda. That is the reason why I strongly
advise every Jew, and every Israeli Jew in particular, to ready this book carefully and to assimilate its
precious contents".
Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi (Italy)
Muslim Co-Founder and Co-Chairman,
Advisory Council Member, Jewish Legal Heritage Society
www.mishpativri.org.il
Director, Cultural Institute, Italian Islamic Community;
Secretary General, Italian Muslim Assembly
islam.inst@alice.it
www.amislam.com
Ralph Peters
My congratulations to all involved in this important breakthrough effort. The disturbed nature of the
world today, exacerbated by those who would pervert and misuse the message of every religion, makes
such endeavors critical to the moral as well as the physical well-being of decent men and women
everywhere. We must give the Root and Branch Association a warm round of applause for reaching out
in so innovative and helpful a manner. This is a small victory for all humankind. Let us hope it will
lead to great victories for peace, faith and civilization.
Ralph Peters (United States)
Author, The War After Armageddon
Susan Rosenbluth
Cracking the Qur'an Code is the fruit of years of effort by the Islam-Israel Fellowship of the Root and
Branch Association. Led by Dr. Asher Eder and Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi, the Fellowship has been
breaking new ground in fostering an understanding of the real messages of the Qur'an and the Bible.
Yasher Koach (Much Strength), Mazal Tov (Good Luck), and congratulations to all concerned.
Susan Rosenbluth (United States)
Editor and Publisher, Jewish Voice and Opinion
susan@jewishvoiceandopinion.com
jewishvoiceandopinion.com
Azim Yousufzai
Jerusalem, given by God to King David as Israel's capital, is revered until today by Jews, Christians
and Muslims and many others. I speak not only as a Muslim from Pakistan, but as a Son of Israel, from
the Pathan tribe of Yousufzai (Pashto for 'Sons of Yosef'). I represent a migrating family of Pathans
who have traveled through many eras and countries. We were always neighbors with practicing Jews
who treated us as one of them, and we treated them as one of us. Muslims worldwide pray towards the
Ka'ba of Mecca. Jerusalem has been a center of almost continuous Israelite settlement for almost three
thousand years. A multicultural city, it is the heart and soul of all the Children of Israel. Those who
attempt to prevent the Jewish People today from exercising sovereignty over Jerusalem dishonor the
memory of Abraham, forefather of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths. I oppose wicked plans to
divide Jerusalem, the world's holiest city. I believe that a united Jerusalem will one day not only be the
capital of the State of Israel, Jewish People worldwide, and the soon-to-be reunited twelve tribes of
Israel. Jerusalem will be the capital of the entire world.
Aazim Yousufzai (Pakistan)
Pakistani Co-Founder and Co-Chairman,
Pakistani R&B Pathan-Israel Fellowship
10
Dedication
Cracking the Qur'an Code is dedicated to the memory of Abdurrahman ad-Dakhil Wahid, a great
friend of Jews and Israel, who died on December 30, 2009, the day before we first went to publication
with this book (born September 7, 1940 died December 30, 2009).
Abdurrahman Wahid was president of Nahdlatul Ulama, the largest Muslim organization in Indonesia,
which is the world's most populous Muslim nation1. Nahdlatul Ulama was founded on January 31, 1926
by Wahid's paternal grandfather, Hasyim Asy'ari, a respected ulema (Muslim legal scholar) from East
Java.
Wahid served as president of Indonesia from 1999 to 2001. Beloved as a person and respected as an
Islamic scholar, he was affectionately known to Indonesians as "Gus Dur".
In an interview with Jennifer Byrne of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on April 17, 2002,
Wahid expressed his support for international Muslim recognition of the State of Israel.
The following is an excerpt from that interview:
Byrne: "And as someone who has been... during your time as president you have tried to forge links with
Israel, and taken some political pain for that what do you think will be the outcome?"
Wahid: "Israel believes in God. While we have a diplomatic relationship and recognising diplomatically
China and Russia, which are atheist states, then it's strange that we don't acknowledge Israel. This is the
thing that we have to correct within Islam".
Byrne: "What... you believe that the Islamic world as a whole should start recognising and acknowledging
Israel's right to exist and prosper?"
Wahid: "Oh yes... yes".
Byrne: "But will it happen, sir... will it happen?"
Wahid: (laughs) "I don't know.... anyway... because you know, however slow, I think Muslims are rational
and rationality dictates that we recognise Israel diplomatically".
abc.net.au/foreign/stories/s551141.htm
May the memory of Abdurrahman Wahid forever be for a blessing.

Jerusalem, Israel
Rosh Chodesh Nisan, 5770; March 16, 2010 C.E.; 30 Rabi Al-Awaal, 1431 A.H.
1
While most Arabs are Muslims, most Muslims are not Arabs.
11
12
Acknowledgments
With thanks to teachers and friends, Dr. Asher Eder and Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi, Jewish and
Muslim Co-Founders and Co-Chairmen of the Islam-Israel Fellowship (established 1997) of the Root
and Branch Association, Ltd. (established 1981). This book is written in their honor and based on their
teachings.
With thanks to friend Professor Nahum Rakover, the first person to invite and welcome Sheikh Palazzi
to Israel, to speak at Professor Rakover's international conference in Jerusalem on Jewish Law, in July,
1996.
With thanks to Moshe Kohn, of blessed memory, who wrote about Sheikh Palazzi's address to
Professor Rakover's July, 1996 Jewish Law conference in Moshe's View from Nov Jerusalem Post
newspaper column, which is where I first learned of the Sheikh.
With thanks to lifelong friend (of twenty-six years), Rabbi Yehoshua Friedman, who unites the worlds
of Jewish and Western learning, and who introduced me to the world of Torah-observant Judaism in
Israel.
With thanks to friend Reuven Kossover, writer in the great Irish tradition, who encouraged me to
write this book and who helped to review and edit the manuscript before publication.
With thanks to friend Larry Pfeffer, my Internet & Technology Teacher, for technical advice relating to
the book's typography.
With thanks to friends Yisrael Medad and Mrs. Bruriah Romanov, of the Begin Center in Jerusalem,
who gave me a research room in their library in which to work when I first began writing this book,
during July-August, 2007.
With thanks to friend Seth Kasten, Theology Librarian, Burke Library of Columbia University
Libraries, at Union Theological Seminary in New York, for editorial help in writing this book.
With thanks to friend Mrs. Helen Freedman, Executive Director of A.F.S.I. (Americans for A Safe
Israel) in New York, for editorial help in writing this book.
With thanks to friend Mrs. Susan Steeg (susansteegart.com), for advice relating to cover design.
With thanks to friend Uncle Steve Halpern (uncle-steve.net), retired Electronics Engineer and
Computer Scientist and my mother's Internet & Technology Teacher, for technical advice relating to
production of this book.
With thanks to my grandparents - my father's parents Nathan and Pauline Gallin and my father's step
mother Fanya, and my mother's parents Benjamin and Laura Lang - who left the old world of Europe
13
for the promise of the new world of America, and made lives for themselves in the goldene medina1.
Thank you for making it possible for my parents, my sister and I, to grow up there too.
With thanks to my parents, Martin and Saara Gallin, who gave me the best education, always
encouraged me to try, and especially to fight for Israel.
With thanks to my sister, Pamela Gallin Yablon, who printed out copies of my manuscript to help her
little brother get started with his first book.
With thanks to my wife Angelika Rachel and our daughters Chamutal Tamar and Batya Yehudit.
Thank you for our happy home in Jerusalem. Thanks, Chamutal, for encouraging me from beginning to
end, with written notes and pep talks, that helped me finish this project.
Especially with thanks to Angelika Rachel, my Star of the County Down
youtube.com/watch?v=xYiWMAGTdI0
Jerusalem, Israel
March 16, 2010 C.E.
30 Rabi Al-Awaal, 1431 A.H.
Golden Land, affectionate Yiddish nickname for America coined by Eastern European Jewish immigrants to America,
such as my grandparents; and by those who hoped to immigrate, but never got there.
14
Prologue
Jerusalem, Summer of 1985
John Hulley and I sat in John's car, stuck in traffic on Jerusalem's King George Street. It was the
summer of 1985.
While waiting for the traffic to move, John told me a story.
John's story was about a lady from France, who converted to Judaism and came on aliyah (immigrated)
to Israel. Here she lived as a mitnachelet (Jewish pioneer) in the yishuv (Jewish pioneering community)
of Kiryat Arba in Eretz Yehudah (Israelite tribal territory of Judah).
Our Jewish Pioneer told John about an encounter that she had with a Muslim Religious Leader at the
Ma'arat HaMachpela (Tomb of the Patriarchs) in Hebron.
Hebron was David's first capital when he ruled for seven years as king of the tribe of Judah. David then
moved from Hebron to Jerusalem, where he ruled for thirty-three years as king of the united twelve
tribes of Israel. As will David's descendant, the King Messiah. May we merit to see the Kingdom of
David and Solomon restored and the Third and Final Temple of Jerusalem rebuilt in our days.
Our Jewish Pioneer asked Our Muslim Religious Leader if what she had heard was true: A quran'ic
prophecy proclaimed that at the End of Days the Children of Israel would return to the Land of Israel.
Our Muslim Religious Leader said yes, it was true. However, he and his fellow Muslim religious
leaders hoped that this Qur'anic prophecy referred to a future return of the Children of Israel to the
Land of Israel, not the current return.
The qur'anic prophecy that Our Jewish Pioneer and Our Muslim Religious Leader discussed is found in
Sura al-Isra (The Night Journey) - Bani Isra'il (Children of Israel), chapter 17, verse 104:
And thereafter [FOLLOWING THE EXODUS FROM EGYPT] We [GOD] said to the Children of Israel: 'Dwell securely
in the Promised Land [Land of Israel]'. And when the last warning will come to pass, We will gather you
[CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] together in a mingled crowd [IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL].
Qur'an, Sura al-Isra (The Night Journey) - Bani Isra'il (Children of Israel), 17:104
I attended Swarthmore, a college founded by Welsh Quakers 1, from 1974-1978. In 1979 - thirty years
ago this past June - I received my B.A., with a Special Major in Religion and the Philosophy of
Science.
Sister colleges Swarthmore, Haverford and Bryn Mawr, located in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were founded by
Welsh Quaker immigrants to English colonial America. Swarthmore College is named after Swarthmore, English
hometown of George Fox, founder of the Quaker movement. The English American colony of Pennsylvania was founded
by Quakers under the leadership of William Penn, son of a British admiral.
15
Swarthmorons (as we call ourselves) live in the world of ideas. My freshman year roommate gave me a
book, entitled Ideas have Consequences (my roommate and I often had different ideas). We take ideas
seriously, and are attentive to what people believe.
The Qur'an proclaimed the return of Jews to the Land of Israel at the End of Days. What else did it say
about the God, Land, Torah and People of Israel?
Islam and Judaism have a mesorah (accepted traditions of interpretations of holy scriptures). How did
traditional Muslim commentators interpret what the Qur'an had to say about Jews, Judaism and Israel?
How were Muslim commentators interpreting the Qur'an on these subjects today?
John and I moved on to discuss other issues of shared interest. John, a Class of '44 Harvard man,
received his B.A., with High Honors in Economics, from Harvard in 1946 (from 1944 to 1946 John
served as an O.S.S. man with the U.S. army in Europe). As you may have heard, You can tell a
Harvard man, but you can't tell him much.
John's story about the encounter of Our Jewish Pioneer with Our Muslim Religious Leader at the
Ma'arat HaMachpela (Tomb of the Patriarchs) filed itself in my mind's archives, to await future
exploration.
Jerusalem, Israel
March 16, 2010 C.E.
16
Introduction
If you ask what Cracking the Qur'an Code is about, I will answer: A warriors' guide for the gathering
global Islamic Zionist Jihad.
Hearing a response like that, you may believe that Lowell has either lost his mind or speaks only about
a state of mind.
After reading this book we will see if you still believe that.
In the not-too-distant future, I believe that the world will hear Muslims chanting Allahu Akbar (God is
great) and Am Yisrael Chai (The People of Israel lives). Together.
In the not-too-distant past, two brothers, Ishmael the elder and Isaac the younger, buried Abraham their
father. Together:
And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, a hundred and threescore and fifteen
years. And Abraham expired, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to
his people. And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the
son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre; the field which Abraham purchased of the children of Heth;
there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife
Genesis 25:7-10
In the not-too-distant future, I believe that the Children of Ishmael and the Children of Israel
(Jacob/Israel - Abraham's grandson, Isaac's younger son and Ishmael's nephew) will replant and rebuild
the Lands of Arabia and Israel, as part of a truly new Middle East. Together:
In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria,and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the
Egyptian into Assyria; and the Egyptians shall worship with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the
third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth; for that the Lord of hosts hath
blessed him, saying: 'Blessed be Egypt My people and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel Mine
inheritance'.
Isaiah 19:23-25
In the not-too-distant future, I believe that the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel will awaken and return to the
Land of Israel. Together:
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord will beat off [HIS FRUIT] from the flood of the River unto
the Brook of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel. And it shall come to pass in
that day, that a great horn shall be blown; and they shall come that were lost in the land of Assyria, and
they that were dispersed in the land of Egypt; and they shall worship the Lord in the holy mountain at
Jerusalem.
Isaiah 27:12-13
17
In the not-too-distant future, I believe that the Kingdom of David and Solomon will be reestablished in
the Land of Israel, and the Twelve Tribes of Israel will rally to their king, the descendant of the House
of David. Together:
And say to them: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the
nations, whither they are gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land. And I
will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king to them
all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all;
neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of
their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling-places, wherein they have sinned, and will
cleanse them; so shall they be My people, and I will be their God. And My servant David shall be king over
them, and they all shall have one shepherd; they shall also walk in Mine ordinances, and observe My
statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob My servant, wherein your
fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children's children, for ever;
and David My servant shall be their prince for ever. Moreover, I will make a covenant of peace with them
it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will establish them, and multiply them, and will set My
sanctuary in the midst of them for ever. My dwelling place also shall be over them; and I will be their God,
and they shall be My people. And the nations shall know that I am the Lord that sanctify Israel, when My
sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for ever.
Ezekiel 37:21-28
In the not-too-distant future, I believe that two brothers, Nebaioth and Kedar, Ishmael's first and second
born sons, will bring offerings to the rebuilt Third and Final Temple of Jerusalem. Together:
Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid,
bore unto Abraham. And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their
generations: The first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, and Mishma, and
Dumah, and Massa; Hadad and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedem; these are the sons of Ishmael, and these
are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments; twelve princes according to their nations.
Genesis 25:12-15
Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, darkness shall
cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but upon thee the Lord will arise, and His glory shall be
seen upon thee. And nations shall walk at thy light, and kings at the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes
round about, and see: They all are gathered together, and come to thee; thy sons come from afar, and thy
daughters are born on the side. Then thou shalt see and be radiant and thy heart shall throb and be
enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned unto thee, the wealth of the nations shall come
unto thee. The caravan of camels shall cover thee, and of the young camels of Midian and Ephah, all coming
from Sheba; they shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praises of the Lord. All the flocks
of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee; they shall
come up with acceptance on Mine altar, and I will glorify My glorious house.
Isaiah 60:1-7
18
A few years ago, I was on a Jerusalem construction site together with an Arab foreman and his two
young co-workers. The foreman spoke of the problems plaguing Arabs and Jews in the Promised Land.
I said that a descendant of David, the King Messiah, would arise to sit on the throne of his fathers, and
that he would bring peace between Arabs and Jews in the Promised Land.
When? the foreman quietly asked.
Soon, I answered.
No one spoke. Silently, we stood together. Though we were alone on a construction site, and I could
easily have had an accident, I felt no fear of these Arab construction workers.
I spoke with honor and respect for King David, whom I knew they respected. The Qur'an says that
David was a prophet and a king, and the author of the Psalms.
One day, hopefully soon, David's descendant will come, and bring peace to the Land of Israel and the
whole world.
Jerusalem, Israel
March 16, 2010 C.E.
19
20
Section One
Dr. Asher Eder
Jerusalem, Israel
21
Introduction to Section One

One evening while walking through the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, sometime after I
returned to the Land of Israel with my wife and our two girls on April 1, 1992, I found an intriguing
pamphlet in the Torah Outreach Program center of Dr. Ya'akov Fogelman.
Entitled Peace is Possible between Ishmael and Israel according to the Koran and the Tanach, this
pamphlet was written by Dr. Asher Eder and published by Dr. Yitzhaq (Isaac) Hayut-Man's Academy
of Jersualem.
I already knew about the remarkable personal history of Dr. Eder from lectures given by Rabbi Baruch
Horovitz, Dean of the Jerusalem Academy of Jewish Studies (Yeshivat Dvar Yerushalayim).
Leafing through Dr. Eder's pamphlet, I became intrigued. Here was further confirmation of what John
Hulley had told me about the encounter between the Jewish Pioneer and the Muslim Religious Leader
at the Ma'arat HaMachpela (Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron).
Dr. Eder had traveled from his native Germany through Muslim lands on his way to the Land of Israel
and Judaism. He showed in Peace is Possible that the Qur'an and Tanach provided solutions to
problems between Muslims and Jews thought to be intractable.
We met several times, and spoke of establishing an Islam-Israel Fellowship of the Root and Branch
Association. Where was the Muslim who would join us?
Dr. Eder hoped that one day a prophetic figure would arise in the world of Islam to openly state the
truths that Dr. Eder uncovered. Where was he?
We did not have to wait long for an answer.
Jerusalem, Israel
March 16, 2010 C.E.
22
Peace is Possible between Ishmael and Israel according to

the Qur'an and the Tanach
Dr. Asher Eder
Editions:
First Edition, 1969
Academy of Jerusalem Edition, 1993
R&B Islam-Israel Fellowship First Edition, 1997
R&B Islam-Israel Fellowship Second Edition, 2001
R&B Islam-Israel Fellowship Fortieth Anniversary Edition, 1969-2009
With Special Thanks To:
David Bentata, for reviewing the manuscript
Nabil Abu Salman, for translating Peace is Possible into Arabic
23
Introduction to Peace is Possible

Dear Reader,
Forty years ago, in 1969, I wrote Peace is Possible according to the Quran and the Tanach, presented
herewith to you.
In the forty years that have passed since then, Israel has signed several peace agreements, none of
which brought the peace they promised.
On March 26, 1979, Israel signed a cold peace agreement with a hostile Egypt, giving up the entire
Sinai in return for a piece of paper. The last thirty years have witnessed the Egyptians break almost
every provision of the peace agreement, short of open armed conflict with Israel.
Since September 13, 1993, when Israel and the P.L.O. signed the Oslo Accords peace agreement,
thousands of Arabs and Jews have been killed and thousands more wounded by murderers from the
P.L.O. and assorted Arab terror (murder) groups.
Despite peace conferences and agreements at Wye Plantation (Interim Agreement of September 28,
1995; ratified October 23, 1998), Annapolis (November 27, 2007), and a Road Map to peace
proclaimed on June 24, 2002 (to be managed by a self-proclaimed Quartet composed of the European
Union, Russia, United Nations and U.S.), peace is nowhere in sight.
Israel's August, 2005 Expulsion (Disengagement) of 10,000 Jewish men, women and children from
their Jewish pioneering communities in Gush Katif was intended as a necessary sacrifice for peace.
Instead, the Expulsion brought an escalating rain of Arab rockets and missiles on Israeli cities and
villages.
On September 29, 1938, the Munich Agreement (called the Munich Dictate by Czechs and Slovaks),
giving Germany the right to annex the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia, was signed by Adolf
Hitler of Germany, Neville Chamberlain of England, Benito Mussolini of Italy and Edouard Daladier
of France. Chamberlain and Daladier sacrificed Czechoslovakia on an altar of peace in a vain attempt
to appease Hitler, servant of the Teutonic war god Wodan, and avoid armed conflict between England
and France with Germany. However, the Munich Agreement (Dictate) only masked the real problem:
Nazi German dreams of world domination1.
In the same way, Israeli peace agreements with Arab nations and terrorist organizations such as the
P.L.O. only mask the real problem: The dream of Wahhabi jihad fanatics to annihilate Israel.
Most Germans supported the relatively small group of active Nazis during the 1920s and 30s.
Similarly, Wahhabi jihad fanatics committed to the destruction of Israel enjoy wide support in the Arab
and Islamic world today.
1
Germany, which had already annexed Austria in the Anschluss of March 12, 1938, went on to annex what was left of
Czechoslovakia in March, 1939, creating the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, and the puppet state of Slovakia. On
September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. At that point, England and France declared war on Germany. World War
Two had begun.
24
Arabs and Muslims are falsely taught that jihad against Israel is a religious duty deriving from the
Qur'an.
The best antidote to the false and destructive teachings of Wahhabi jihad fanatics about Israel are the
authentic and life-giving teachings of the Qur'an and Islamic tradition.
Forty years ago, in 1969, I wrote Peace is Possible in an attempt to introduce readers to the authentic
and life-giving Qur'anic teachings about Jews and Israel.
Today, forty years later, in 2009, I believe that Peace is Possible is as relevant as when first written. I
hope it will help Muslims and Jews, Arabs and Israelis, on the path to true peace.
Dr. Asher Eder

Jerusalem, Israel
March 16, 2010 C.E.
25
Preface to Peace is Possible

Dr. Asher Eder's essay, Peace is Possible between Ishmael and Israel according to the Qur'an and the
Tanach, is a fascinating investigation of what the Qur'an teaches about Muslims and Jews. I
recommend it to all Muslims, most of all to those living in the Middle East.
Muslims must develop a new attitude towards Jews and Israel. Arab Muslims have been defeated in
war after war against Israel. Would God have permitted this if the Arab Muslim cause was just? Surely
not.
God says in the Glorious Qur'an:
> E >C 9 C 7 E
79 ><7 > CE >7 I79 C 9 C 7 E7 E >77E >CE >7 7CE
7 7C
7C7 >7 [ I >7 > C[7E > C 77 7E [
Twenty patient and persevering Muslims fighting for a good Islamic cause will vanquish two hundred of
their enemies, while a hundred of those Muslims will vanquish a thousand enemies.
Qur'an, Sura al-Anfal (The Spoils of War), 8:65 (Palazzi translation)
In the case of the Arab-Israeli wars; on the contrary, it happened in exactly the opposite way: Arabs
always outnumbered Israelis, and notwithstanding this they were always defeated. I cannot conceive a
more evident proof of the fact that Arab Muslim wars of aggression against Israel were a palpable
violation of the dictates of Islam.
Arab and Muslim political leaders and some of the deviant ulema (clergy) misled their own people
when they taught that Islam prohibited us from recognizing the State of Israel or having peaceful
relations with it.
The authentic teachings of the Qur'an are quite different.
God says in the Glorious Qur'an that Jews and Muslims have their own special directions of prayer
(Jerusalem for Jews and Mecca for Muslims):
C >7 7 7 >C 77 >E c E7E 77 7 7 7 77 >E > C E7[

c >7 77 >E c E7E C
They would not follow thy direction of prayer; nor art thou going to follow their direction of prayer; nor
indeed will they follow each other's direction of prayer.
Qur'an, Sura al-Baqarah (The Heifer), 2:145 (Palazzi translation)
God Himself is saying that Jerusalem is as important to Jews as Mecca is to Muslims.

Nevertheless, most Muslim leaders continue to claim that Islam prohibits Muslims from recognizing
the right of the Jewish People to the Land of Israel. It is our duty to stop this false, anti-Islamic
propaganda.
26
We must follow the example of the martyr Anwar Sadat, the noble leader, who showed us how to look
to the future with a positive attitude and learn from past mistakes. May God have Mercy upon him!
Muslims and Jews must recognise each other as brothers, descendants of Abraham, messenger to the
world of ethical monotheism. To do this we must be prepared to forgive past faults and understand that
those who follow the ways of peace and forgiveness walk in the shadow of God.
We must remember Joseph's forgiving attitude to his brothers, the other Children of Israel, and follow
Joseph's example by telling our Muslim brothers:
o C E >7 7 >7 >C C >77
7E E [C 7 >7 7 C7 >C 7 C
7 7 >7 7 7 7
This day let not reproach be cast on you, God will forgive you, since He is the Most Merciful of those who
show mercy.
Qur'an, Sura Yusuf (Joseph), 12:92 (Palazzi translation)

Rome, Italy
March 16, 2010 C.E.
27
Peace is Possible between Ishmael and Israel according to the Qur'an

and the Tanach
Dear Muslim Reader,
May I as an Israeli Jew speak freely to you as one family member to another?
Let us be aware that we are descendants of one father, Abraham, whose main offspring were Ishmael,
Israel (Jacob), and Esau.
From Abraham's faith developed the so-called monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Each has its own specific mission to perform.
Sarah, giving birth to Isaac, demanded that Abraham remove Ishmael. Abraham prayed for Ishmael and
sent him out (not off, as some translations have it) to become a great nation, as we are told in the
Tanach (Hebrew Bible).
Later on, Abraham's grandson Israel (Jacob) was sent out, first by his father Isaac to Laban, and then
Israel's (Jacob's) descendants to several exiles for certain missions.
1.1 Different Missions of Ishmael and Israel
The different missions of Ishmael, Esau and Israel were to serve two purposes:
As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his fellow, said King Solomon
(Proverbs, 27:17). This means that competition and emulation are ingredients needed for our
development and growth.
Witnessing or conferring the truth of the One God to the nations.
1.2 Competition between Ishmael and Israel
However, Ishmael and Israel each began to see himself as the only true child and heir of Abraham. A
family quarrel ensued, with each one claiming the whole heritage. The scriptures given to us as divine
instructions for our respective tasks began to be interpreted in exclusive ways.
1.3 Different Ways of Interpreting Scripture
Scriptures, the Qur'an as Muslim guidebook and the Tanach as Jewish guidebook, are open to
interpretation. The Torah has seventy faces1, say our sages, referring to seventy possible
interpretations of a given passage and to the seventy nations of the world listed in the Torah.
Islam developed Sunnism and Shi'ism, besides other sub-groups, each one interpreting the same
Qur'an. One official school of interpretation in Islam holds that a jihad (holy war) can be waged only
1
Bamidbar Rabbah 13:15
28
against one's evil inclination, according to the Qur'an. Others, such as the Wahhabis, are quick to
demand and wage jihad against Muslim opponents, or even against all non-Muslims. They cite
passages from the Qur'an which they claim support their views.
Each of us sees his own reflection when he looks into his own scriptures. We may read a passage many
times without grasping its deeper meaning. We may misconstrue it. We may, if we are fortunate, have
our eyes opened to the truths that passage was meant to teach.
I ask that we all look again at our scriptures. Do they really tell us that we are meant to fight endless
wars, or rather to make real peace? Current negotiations between Arabs and Jews, conducted entirely
on the political level, will be crowned with real peace only when we resolve the religious conflicts that
are seen to divide us.
Let us look at these conflicts.
1.4 Jihad, Call to Holy War
Jihad against Jews has been proclaimed by many Arab religious and political leaders, creating a jihad
psychosis.
According to Islamic law jihad may only be declared by a caliphate. No caliphate has existed since the
fall of the Turkish Empire in 1917.
Following the Madrid and Washington peace talks, several Muslim religious groups, including
Wahhabi1 Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and the Palestine Council of Ulema, condemned the peace
agreements with Israel. To these groups, such agreements are a grave sin and betrayal of God and of
his messenger.
This may be right in their view. By definition, jihad never ends in compromise. Even if Israel would
give up the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), and Haifa, Jaffa and Beersheba as well, their jihad
would not have achieved its goal. Such jihad would have to continue until Israel disappeared from their
map of the Middle East. Muslim and Arab leaders have declared this goal over and over again.
On the long road towards their goal of destroying Israel, they believe that such jihad allows them to lie,
act arrogantly and sign fake treaties with the Jewish enemy (and with those who support us).
This jihad philosophy is set out in the document entitled Arab Theologians on Israel: Excerpts from the
Proceedings of the Fourth Conference of the Academy of Islamic Research, held at al-Azhar
University, Cairo, in 19682. This conference was convened by Gamal Abd-el-Nassr, then president of
Egypt. Its task was to set guidelines for conducting jihad against Israel.
Wahhabis, as they are called by Sunnis and Shi'ites, call themselves Salafis
Arab Theologians on Jews and Israel: Excerpts from the Proceedings of the Fourth Conference of the Academy of Islamic
Research (convened at Al Azhar University, Cairo, 1968). Cairo: General Organization for Government Printing Offices,
1970. Introduced and edited be D.F. Green. Available from Editions de l'Avenir, 1208 Geneva, Switzerland.
29
How could anyone, under such circumstances, expect Israel to rely on treaties with its Arab neighbors?
Even if one wanted to trust Abdul Rauf el-Codbi el-Husseini (Yasser Arafat) and other Arab leaders,
one would have to take into account that their successors - whether they come to power by right or by
might - might adhere to the principles of jihad, and declare all agreements with Israel null and void.
Israel is still in a formal state of war with Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Both of these nations fought against
Israel in 1948. They never have revoked their state of war with Israel. (In contrast, Israel now has peace
treaties with Jordan and Egypt, and the 1949 armistice agreements with Syria and Lebanon).
The call to jihad against the State of Israel is not new. It began with Jewish settlement in the Land of
Israel and was invoked between the First and Second World Wars by Haj Amin el-Husseini, grand
mufti of Palestine. Arab wars of (intended) annihilation against Israel in 1948, 1967 and 1973 were all
attempts to put the call to jihad into practice.
After an Australian Christian tried to burn down the El Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount (bayt almaqdis) in Jerusalem, Saudi Arabia established the Organization of the Islamic Conference (O.I.C.)
specifically to support jihad against Israel. In 1991, following the start of peace talks in Washington,
el-Husseini (Arafat) demanded that the O.I.C., meeting in Dakar, Senegal, include a call to support
jihad against Israel in its final resolution.
Even after signing the first Oslo Agreement, el-Husseini (Arafat) continued his call for jihad against
Israel.
These groups believe that their obsession with jihad against the State of Israel is supported by qur'anic
verses which condemn the Children of Israel for lack of faith in God and for not observing the
commandments of God's Torah, or which condemn pagans and idolaters in general.
My own reading of the Qur'an reveals a different picture, shared by many Muslim friends who dare not
speak out for fear of revenge attacks by Wahhabi jihad fanatics.
What led Arab leaders to such strong rejection of Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel (or
Palestine, as it was called after the establishment of the British Mandate), and of a renewed Jewish
State in the Land of Israel?
The answer will expose the motives for the Arab assault against Israel. It will also suggest a solution
allowing both Arabs and Jews to live together in mutual respect and in honor of the God of Abraham,
forefather of both the Children of Ishmael and the Children of Israel.
1.5 Religious and Historic Roots of Arab and Muslim Rejection of the State of Israel
Muslim rejection of the State of Israel has religious and historic roots.
The religious root is found in the Islamic doctrine that lands once under Islamic rule - lands within the
realm of Dar al-Islam (Realm of Peace lands controlled by Muslims) - must be reconquered if lost to
the realm of Dar al-Harb (Realm of War lands controlled by non-Muslims).
30
The historic root dates to the 13th century when Arab Muslim lands suffered European Crusader
invasion from the West and Mongol invasion from the East. The Mongol invasion destroyed Baghdad,
the Muslim cultural center and seat of the caliphate. Until then, Islam was a leading world civilization.
Islam stagnated during the ensuing Mameluk period. A short revival under the early Ottoman Turkish
sultans did not take hold. European nations gained power and influence, subjecting the Muslim world
to their colonial rule.
Only after European crippled itself in the First World War could Arab nationalist movements gain
strength. Arab nationalists achieved dominance within the Muslim world by using religion to advance
political agendas. This approach turned Islam into a tool of political Arab nationalism.
The misuse of Islam for political ends led Arab nations to wage wars against each other in the name of
jihad. It also poisoned Muslim attitudes towards Jews and Israel. Wars produce suffering and atrocities
on all sides, and these in turn breed bitterness and hatred.
Muslims and Jews must break this vicious cycle by exposing the roots of the problem and by
rediscovering the intentions behind the words of our prophets.
1.6 Muslims and Jews must seek Truth together
Muslims and Jews must seek truth together. Only truth will guide us to righteousness, which will bring
peace and blessing for both sides. Let us reflect on the two books which have guided Jews and Muslims
for centuries. The Tanach is the Jewish guidebook and the Qur'an is the Muslim guidebook.
Many Muslims believe that they need not read the Tanach. They say that the Qur'an contains the entire
truth and cite a passage in the hadith (oral traditions of the sayings of Muhammad) where Muhammad
saw Omar reading the Tanach and told Omar he need not do so.
A Muslim, it is said, can lead a proper life by following the five basic principles of Islam alone.
However, not being required to read the Tanach does not mean that Muslims should reject Tanach
teachings.
This view is supported by a hadith which relates that upon seeing Jews carrying a Torah scroll
Muhammad stopped them, kissed the scroll and spoke to the Torah, saying, I believe in you and in
your contents.
According to another hadith, Muhammad said, Quote at least some words from me, quote also from
the Israelites, there is no harm in doing so. All classical Muslim commentators on the Qur'an cited the
Tanach. However, some Muslims say that today's Tanach is unreliable. They claim that Jews tampered
with the original text.
31
1.7 The Qur'an acknowledges the Authority of the Bible

The Qur'an speaks differently about the Torah and the Tanach (which it calls the Book)1:
True piety is this: to believe in God, and the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the Prophets, to give of
one's substance, however cherished, to kinsmen, and orphans, the needy, the traveler, beggars, and to ranson
the slave, to perform the prayer, to pay the alms.
Qur'an, Sura al-Baqarah (The Heifer), 2:172 (Arberry translation, page 22-23) (standard numbering: 2:177)
And We have sent down to thee the Book with the truth, confirming the Book that was before it, and
assuring it.
Qur'an, Sura al-Ma'idah (The Table), 5:52 (Arberry translation, page 107) (standard numbering: 5:48)
This Koran could not have been forged apart from God; but it is a confirmation of what is before it, and a
distinguishing of the Book, wherein is no doubt, from the Lord of all Being.
Qur'an, Sura Yunis (Jonah), 10:38 (Arberry translation, page 201) (standard numbering: 10:38)
And We gave Moses the Book, and made it a guidance to the Children of Israel.
Qur'an, Sura al-Isra (The Night Journey) Bani Isra'il (Children of Israel), 17:3 (Arberry translation, page 274)
(standard numbering: 17:3)
And We gave Moses the Book, that haply they would be guided.
Qur'an, Sura al-Mu'minun (The Believers), 23:51 (Arberry translation, page 346) (standard numbering: 23:49)
Indeed, We gave Moses the Book; so be not in doubt concerning the encounter with him; and We appointed
it for a guidance to the Children of Israel.
Qur'an, Sura al-Sajdah (Prostration), 32:23 (Arberry translation, page 425) (standard numbering: 32:23)
Yet before it was the Book of Moses for a model and a mercy; and this is a Book confirming, in Arabic
tongue, to warn the evildoers, and good tidings to the good-doers.
Qur'an, Sura al-Ahqaf (The Sand-Dunes), 46:11 (Arberry translation, page 522) (standard numbering: 46:12)
The Tanach was canonized centuries before Muhammad spoke these words of confirmation. The
Qumran Scrolls, written 2,000 years ago and discovered in 1947, testify that the Tanach in use today is
faithful to the original text.
Quran'ic references to the Book, where the reference is to the Torah or the Tanach, always refer to them in the original
Hebrew, not to translations into other languages, which are often unreliable.
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1.8 The Qur'an recognizes the Authority of the Rabbis and the Special Status of the Children of
Israel
Surely, We sent down the Torah, wherein is guidance and light; thereby, the Prophets who had
surrendered themselves gave judgment for those of Jewry, as did the masters and the rabbis, following
such portion of God's Book as they were given to keep and were witnesses to.
Qur'an, Sura al-Ma'idah (The Table), 5:48 (Arberry translation, pages 106-107) (standard numbering: 5:44)
O believers, be not as those who hurt Moses, but God declared him quit of what they said, and he was high
honored with God.
Qur'an, Sura al-Ahzab (The Confederates), 33:69 (Arberry translation, page 435) (standard numbering: 33:69)
We gave the Children of Israel the Book, the Judgment, and the Prophethood, and We provided them with
good things, and We preferred them above all beings.
Qur'an, Sura al-Jathiyah (Hobbling), 45:15 (Arberry translation, page 517) (standard numbering: 45:16)
1.9 The Qur'an recognizes the Right of the Children of Israel to the Land of Israel
The Qur'an has Moses say to the Israelites about the Land of Israel:
And when Moses said to his people: 'O My People, remember God's blessing upon you, when He appointed
among you Prophets, and appointed you kings, and gave you such as He had not given to any being. O My
People, enter the Holy Land which God has prescribed for you, and turn not back in your traces, to turn
about losers'.
Qur'an, Sura al-Ma'idah (The Table), 5:24 (Arberry translation, page 103) (standard numbering: 5:20-21)
And We brought the Children of Israel over the sea (10:90); And We settled the Children of Israel in a sure
settlement, and We provided them with good things (10:93).
Qur'an, Sura Yunus (Jonah), 10:90, 10:93 (Arberry translation, page 207) (standard numbering: 10:90, 10:93)
1.10 The Qur'an says that God commanded the Children of Israel to fight for the Land of Israel
Israel was even meant to fight for the Land:
Hast thou not regarded the Council of the Children of Israel, after Moses, when they said to a Prophet of
theirs, 'Raise up for us a king, and we will fight in God's way'. He said, 'Might it be that, if fighting is
prescribed for you, you will not fight?' They said, 'Why should we not fight in God's way, who have been
expelled from our habitations and our children?' Yet when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned their
backs except for a few of them; and God has knowledge of the evildoers.
Qur'an, Sura al-Baqarah (The Heifer), 2:246 (Arberry translation, page 35) (standard numbering: 2:246)
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1.11 The Qur'an says that God will return the Children of Israel to the Land of Israel at the End
of Days
The Qur'an confirms the special link between the People and Land of Israel. The Tanach repeats this
constantly. The return of the Children of Israel to the Land of Israel at the End of Days is also
proclaimed by both Books (Tanach and Qur'an).
The Qur'an speaks of the final return of the reunited House of Israel, both Jews (House of Judah) and
Lost Ten Tribes (House of Ephraim), to the Land of Israel:
He desired to startle them from the Land; and We drowned him and those with him, all together. And We
said to the Children of Israel after him, 'Dwell in the Land; and when the promise of the world to come
comes to pass, We shall bring you a rabble'.
Qur'an, Sura al-Isra (The Night Journey) - Bani Isra'il (Children of Israel), 17:105 (Arberry translation, page
286) (standard numbering: 17:103-104)
This Qur'anic prophecy probably refers to Deuteronomy 30:1-5, where Moses predicts the final return
of the united House of Israel (Judah and Ephraim) from the ends of the earth to the Land of Israel:
And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I
have set before thee, and thou shalt bethink thyself among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath
driven thee, and shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and hearken to His voice according to all that I
command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul; that then the Lord thy
God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the
peoples, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine that are dispersed be in the uttermost
parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will He fetch thee. And the
Lord thy God will bring thee into the Land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and He will
do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.
Deuteronomy 30:1-5
The Prophet Jeremiah, developing this theme, says:

And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the
first, and will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against Me, and it shall be to me
a name of joy, a praise of honor before all the nations of the world, which shall hear all the good that I do
unto them, and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I shall procure
unto it.
Jeremiah 33:7-9
The Prophet Zechariah, who lived in the Second Temple period (after the return of some members of
the tribes of Judah and Benjamin and small numbers of other tribes to the Land of Israel from the
captivity of Babylon) said:
Thus says the Lord of Hosts: 'Behold, I will save My People from the east country, and from the west
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country, and I will bring them and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and they shall be My People,
and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness'.
Zechariah 8:7-8
1.12 The Qur'an forbids distinguishing between Prophets before and after the Babylonian and
Roman Exiles of the Children of Israel from the Land of Israel
The Qur'an forbids making a division between prophets before and after the Israelite Exile, and before
or after the Hegira:
Say you: 'We believe in God, and in that which has been sent down to us and sent down to Abraham,
Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob, and the Tribes, and that which was given to Moses and Jesus and the Prophets, of
their Lord; we make no division between any of them, and to Him we surrender.
The people were one nation; then God sent forth the Prophets, good tidings to bear and warning, and He
sent down with them the Book with the truth, that He might decide between the people touching their
differences.
Qur'an, Sura al-Baqarah (The Heifer), 2: 208 (Arberry translation, page 28) (standard numbering: 2:213)
Say: 'We believe in God, and that which has been sent down on us, and sent down on Abraham and
Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob, and the Tribes, and in that which was given to Moses and Jesus, and the Prophets,
of their Lord; we make no division between any of them, and to Him we surrender.
Qur'an, Sura al-Imran (The House of Imram), 3:78 (Arberry translation, page 57) (standard numbering: 3:84)
1.13 The Qur'an praises the Psalms of David and recognizes David as God's Viceroy on Earth
The Qur'an praises the Psalms of David, which are songs of Zion. The Qur'an acknowledges David as
God's viceroy and judge on Earth:
We sent not any before thee, except men to whom We revealed: 'Question the people of the Remembrance, if
it should be that you do not know' - with the clear signs, and the Psalms; and We have sent down to thee the
Remembrance that thou mayest make clear to mankind what was sent down to them; and so haply they will
reflect.
Qur'an, Sura al-Nahl (The Bee), 16:45 (Arberry translation, page 263) (standard numbering: 16:43-44)
Our servant David, the man of might; he was a penitent. With him We subjected the mountains to give glory
at evening and sunrise, and the birds, duly mustered, every one to him reverting; We strengthened his
kingdom, and gave him wisdom and speech decisive.
Qur'an, Sura Sad (Zad), 38:16-19 (Arberry translation, page 465) (standard numbering: 38:17-20)
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'David, behold, We have appointed thee a viceroy in the earth; therefore judge between men justly, and
follow not caprice, lest it lead thee astray from the way of God'.
Qur'an, Sura Sad (Zad), 38:25 (Arberry translation, page 466) (standard numbering: 38:26)
In his Psalms David speaks clearly of the return of the Children of Israel to the Land of Israel. Psalm
102 1 says:
Thou (O Lord) shall arise, and Thou shall have mercy upon Zion, for the time to favor her, yea, the set time
is come, for the servants took pleasure in her stones, and favor the dust thereof. So the nations shall fear the
Name of the Lord, and the kings of the Earth His glory. When the Lord shall build Zion, He shall appear in
His glory. He will regard the prayer of the torn, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the
last generation.
Psalm 102:14-19
Psalm 147 says:

The Lord does build Jerusalem, He gathered the outcasts of Israel.
Psalm 147:2
Jeremiah transmits the Lord's commandment to the nations:

Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say: 'He that scatters Israel
will gather him and keep him, as a Shepherd does his flock. For the Lord has redeemed Israel...therefore they
shall come and sing in the heights of Zion'.
Jeremiah 31:9-10
The Qur'an concurs with this commandment of the Lord by saying that it was sent down to thee as a
remembrance that thou mayest make clear to mankind what was sent down to them as quoted above.
Making that clear to mankind as the Qur'an enjoins you to do, you ought to make that clear first to
yourselves.
The return of the Children of Israel to the Land of Israel is in no way comparable to invasions such as
the Norman attack on England or the Spanish assault on the Americas, as you were led to believe.
1.14 The Land of Israel is distinct from the Dar al-Islam (Realm of Peace) and the Dar al-Harb
(Realm of War)
The prophets, including David, speak clearly. They show that the Land of Israel is an entity of its own,
distinct from current concepts of Dar al-Islam (Realm of Peace) and Dar al-Harb (Realm of War).
The Hebrew text says the last generation, not generation to come as it appears in most English translations.
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The Land of Israel is the Land of the Lord God of Israel. As such the Land of Israel can never be part
of the Dar al-Harb. Even if conquered and temporarily occupied by non-Israelites, the Land of Israel
remains God's Land.
And I brought you into a land of fruitful fields, to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof; but when ye
entered, ye defiled My land, and made My heritage an abomination.
Jeremiah 2:7
therefore thus saith the Lord God: Surely in the fire of My jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the
nations, and against all Edom, that have appointed My Land unto themselves for a possession with the joy of
all their heart, with disdain of soul, to cast it out for a prey.
Ezekiel 36:5
and thou shalt come up against My People Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be at the End of
Days, and I will bring thee against My Land, that the nations may know Me, when I shall be sanctified
through thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
Ezekiel 38:16
I will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will enter into
judgment with them there for My People and for My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the
nations, and divided My land.
Joel 4:2
1.15 The Qur'an commands Muslims to respect the Children of Israel and to treat them well
The words of the prophets have begun to be fulfilled in our time with the ingathering of the Children of
Israel after a 2,000 year exile, the destruction of Nazi Germany in World War Two (1939-1945), birth
of the State of Israel (1948) and repeated Israeli defeats of hostile Arab neighbors in unjustified Arab
wars of aggression against Israel (1949, 1956, 1967, 1973).
Israel's enemies often claim that the Jews are a cursed people who are not entitled to the Land of Israel.
Does the presence of confused and sinful men and women among the People of Israel justify this
hostility? Was the hostility of the ancient Philistines justified by King Saul's weakness and sins? Were
the hostilities of the Arabs against the Jews and their building of the Second Temple Justified?
The Qur'an and Tanach say no:
backs except a few of them, and God has knowledge of the evildoers.
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Then their Prophet said to them, 'Verily God has raised up Saul for you as king'. They said, 'How should he
be king over us who have better right than he to kingship, seeing he has not been given amplitude of wealth?'
He said, 'God has chosen him over you, and has increased him broadly in knowledge and body. God gives
the kingship to whom He will; and God is All-embracing, All-knowing'. And their Prophet said to them, 'The
sign of his kingship is that the Ark will come to you, in it a Shechina from your Lord, and a remnant of what
the folk of Moses and Aaron's folk left behind, the angels bearing it. Surely in that shall be a sign for you, if
you are believers'.
And when Saul went forth with the hosts he said, 'God will try you with a river; whosoever drinks of it is not
of me, and whoso tastes it not, he is of me, saving him who scoops up with his hand'. But they drank of it,
except a few of them; and when he crossed it, and those who believed with him, they said, 'We have no power
today against Goliath and his hosts'.
Said those who reckoned they should meet God, 'How often a little company has overcome a numerous
company, by God's leave! And God is with the patient'. So, when they went forth against Goliath and his
hosts, they said, 'Our Lord, pour out upon us patience, and make firm our feet, and give us aid against the
people of the unbelievers'. And they routed them, by the leave of God, and David slew Goliath; and God gave
him the kingship, and Wisdom, and He taught him such as He willed. Had God not driven back the people,
some by means of the others, the earth had surely corrupted, but God is bounteous unto all beings.
Qur'an, Sura al-Baqarah (The Heifer), 2:245-253 (Arberry translation, pages 35-36) (standard numbering:
2:246-251)
But it came to pass that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the
Ashdodites, heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to
be stopped, then they were very wroth; and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against
Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein.
Nehemia 4:1-2
The Qur'an commands Muslims to forgive:

God took compact with the Children of Israel; and We raised up from among them twelve chieftains. And
God said, 'I am with you. Surely, if you perform the prayer,and pay the alms, and believe in My Messengers
and succour them, and lend to God a good loan, I will acquit you of your evil deeds, and I will admit you to
gardens underneath which rivers flow. So whosoever of you thereafter disbelieves, surely he has gone astray
from the right way'. So for their breaking their compact We cursed them and made their hearts hard, they
perverting words from their meanings; and they have forgotten a portion of that they were reminded of; and
thou wilt never cease to light upon some act of treachery on their part, except a few of them. Yet pardon
them, and forgive; surely God loves the good-doers.
Qur'an, Sura al-Ma'idah (The Table), 5:15-16 (Arberry translation, pages 101-102) (standard numbering: 5:1213)
Should faults among the Children of Israel nullify God's plans and promises? God is the Almighty, AllMerciful, All-Compassionate, who can forgive and establish His promises.
38
As the Qur'an says:

We sent against you Our servants to discountenance you, and to enter the Temple, as they entered it the first
time, and to destroy utterly that which they ascended to. Perchance your Lord will have mercy upon you; but
if you return, We shall return; and We have made Gehenna a prison for the unbelievers.
Qur'an, Sura al-Isra (The Night Journey) - Bani Isra'il (Children of Israel), 17:7-8 (Arberry translation, pages
274-275) (standard numbering: 17:7-8)
1.16 God promises to forgive the Children of Israel when He returns them to the Land of Israel
at the End of Days
God promised that He will forgive Israel at the time of Israel's return:
And I will bring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall
be satisfied upon Mount Ephraim and Gilead. In those days, and at that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of
Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none, and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found, for I
will pardon them whom I reserve.
Jeremiah 50:19-20
The Almighty will surely do what He has promised:

The promise of God! God fails not His promise, but most men do not know it.
Qur'an, Sura Rum (The Greeks), 30:5 (Arberry translation, page 411) (standard numbering: 30:6)
1.17 The Qur'an affirms that the Land of Israel is an Eternal Heritage for the Children of Israel
Some say that perhaps the Jews shall return to the Land of Israel, but there is no promise for them to
establish a state, taking away Arab land. Muslims are forbidden to make friendships with those who
expelled Muslims from their habitations:
God forbids you not, as regards those who have not fought you in religion's cause, nor expelled you from
your habitations, that you should be kindly to them, and act justly towards them; surely God loves the just.
God only forbids you as to those who have fought you in religion's cause, and expelled you from your
habitations, and have supported in your expulsion, that you should take them for friends. And whosoever
takes them for friends, those they are the evildoers.
Qur'an, Sura Mumtahana (The Woman Tested), 60:8-9 (Arberry translation, page 578) (standard numbering:
60:8-9)
Can Muslims prove that the Land of Israel was or is rightfully their Land? Muslims defeated the
Byzantines and took it from them. Were the Byzantines entitled to this Land? Were the Crusaders,
whom the Muslims later defeated, entitled to it? Muslims, and even more so the Jewish People, were
initially delivered into the hands of the Crusaders, who murdered all the Muslims and Jews in
Jerusalem when they captured the city.
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Do Muslims really think that you became heirs to the Land of Israel because you took it back from the
Crusaders?
Were Muslims not guardians and stewards until the rightful heirs (Children of Israel) would return at
the appointed time?
The Land of Israel is assigned to the Children of Israel as an eternal inheritance, notwithstanding the
two foretold Dispersions:
And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for
an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
Genesis 17:8
But My covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next
year.
Genesis 17:21
For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I
will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will enter into
judgment with them there for My People and for My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the
nations, and divided My Land.
Joel 4:1-2
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of
grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. And I will
turn the captivity of My People Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall
plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I
will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given
them, saith the Lord thy God.
Amos 9:13-15
The Qur'an acknowledges this, as we saw already.

King David, after conquering Jerusalem from the Jebusites, bought Mount Moriah from Ornan, the
Jebusite king, and paid the full price Ornan requested for it.
King Solomon then built the Temple (Beth HaMikdash), upon this site. The title deeds, including their
confirmation by Persian Kings Cyrus and Darius, are documented in the Tanach:
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be
accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout
all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying: 'Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the
earth hath the Lord, the God of heaven, given me; and He hath charged me to build Him a house in
Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whosoever there is among you of all His People his God be with him let
40
him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel, He is the God
who is in Jerusalem'.
Ezra 1:1-3
'Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let a beam be pulled out from his house,
and let him be lifted up and fastened thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this; and may the God
that hath caused His name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples, that shall put forth their hand to
alter the same, to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be
done with all diligence'.
Ezra 6:11-12
And king David said to Ornan: 'Nay, but I will verily buy it for the full price; for I will not take that which is
thine for the Lord, nor offer a burnt-offering without cost'. So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred
shekels of gold by weight.
First Book of Chronicles 21:24-25
Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where (the Lord)
appeared unto David his father; for which provision had been made in the Place of David, in the
threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Second Book of Chronicles 3:1
Can you produce documents to nullify this or to support contrary claims?

Mount Moriah (bayt al-maqdis - Temple Mount of Jerusalem) is generally claimed to belong solely to
the Muslim world since Rasul (Prophet) Muhammad's Night Journey and ascension to heaven from
there. The Temple Mount (bayt al-maqdis) even became Islam's third holiest place1.
How could these events alter or cancel revelations given previously to Muhammad, as recorded in the
Qur'an? How can Muhammad's expulsion of some Jewish tribes (only those which fought against him)
from the Land of Arabia, now referred to as a model case, alter or cancel the prophecies of the Qur'an?
How can it be applied to the Land of Israel?
Jews returning to the Land of Israel did not expel Arabs from their homes. Although Jews could have
simply claimed their Land outright, they behaved as did King David and bought land, paying full price
to those registered as its owners.
Arabs were not expelled in this process of land acquisition. On the contrary, the Arab population
increased and prospered parallel to the Jewish immigration, because with the influx of the proper
Jewish heirs, the Land of Israel began to flourish.
The Even Shatiah (Hebrew for Foundation Stone), known in Arabic as the Sakhra, is visibly honored by the Dome of the
Rock. The Dome is built on the spot where Jewish and Islamic tradition holds that the Foundation Stone is located.
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1.18 Haj Amin Husseini incites Arab anti-Jewish Violence against Jews returning to the Land of
Israel
At the same time, Arabs, instigated by Mufti Haj Amin el-Husseini, began to attack Jews. Arabs rioted
against Jews in Jerusalem in 1920-21. Hebron's Jews were murdered by their Arab neighbors in 1929.
Mufti el-Husseini continued his murderous attacks against Jews during the mid 1930s. Arab society
paid a high price for allowing the Mufti's Wahhabi jihad fanatics to gain the upper hand. In the 1936-38
riots instigated by the Mufti, over 700 Jews and over 3,000 Arabs were murdered by his gangs. The
martyred Arabs were those whom the Mufti accused of preferring normal relationships with Jews over
his baseless hatred.
Was the Mufti's behavior in conformity with true Islam? The Qur'an commands Muslims to give refuge
and help to religious refugees:
Those who believe, and have emigrated and struggled with their possessions and their selves in the way of
God, and those who have given refuge and help those are friends one of another. And those who believe,
but have not emigrated you have no duty of friendship towards them till they emigrate; yet if they ask you
for help, for religion's sake, it is your duty to help them, except against a people between whom and you there
is no compact; and God sees the things you do. As for the unbelievers, they are friends one of another.
Unless you do this, there will be persecution in the land and great corruption. And those who believe, and
have emigrated and struggled in the way of God, those who have given refuge and help those in truth are
the believers, and theirs shall be forgiveness and generous provision. And those who have believed
afterwards and emigrated, and struggled with you they belong to you; but those related by blood are
nearer to one another in the Book of God; surely God has knowledge of everything.
Qur'an, Sura Anfal (The Spoils), 8:73-75 (Arberry translation, page 177-178) (standard numbering: 8:72-74)
The very name Israel indicates this struggle.

This is not semantics. Jews suffered from the hatred of the same European nations that subjugated Arab
and other Third World nations. Only blind hatred causes some Muslim leaders to join hands with Jewhaters rather than welcome Jewish refugees returning to their ancestral Jewish homeland1.
Not only European Jews and Jewish survivors of the Nazi Genocide met jihad's fanatic sword.
Mizrachi Jews (Jews from North Africa and the Middle East) fled Arab host countries due to increasing
hostility against them, especially from 1946-51. In those years more Jewish refugees immigrated to
Israel from Arab countries than from Europe. Mizrachi Jews are now the majority of Israel's Jewish
population.
The attitude of the early Turkish sultans could have set an example for Muslims. The Turks opened the
doors of their empire and welcomed Jewish refugees expelled from Spain by King Ferdinand and
Queen Isabella in 1492. Cities such as Safed in the Galilee began to thrive with the Jewish influx.
1
Pages 117, 498-99, Arab Theologians on Jews and Israel
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Instead of finding a warm welcome in the Land of their fathers, Jewish refugees from the Nazis and
those from Arab countries were attacked by Wahhabi jihad fanatics. These attacks triggered Israel's
War of Independence in 1948 and all subsequent Arab wars against Israel.
1.19 The Qur'an warns that God will punish all who persecute the Children of Israel, especially
the Nations of Gog and Magog, which attack Jews returning to the Land of Israel at the
End of Days
This should alarm those Muslims who heed the words of King David in the Psalms and those of the
Prophet Ezekiel:
A Song, a Psalm of Asaph. O God, keep not Thou silence; hold not Thy peace, and be not still, O God. For,
lo, Thine enemies are in an uproar; and they that hate Thee have lifted up the head. They hold crafty
converse against Thy people, and take counsel against Thy treasured ones. They have said: 'Come, and let us
cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance'. For they have
consulted together with one consent; against Thee do they make a covenant; the tents of Edom and the
Ishmaelites; Moab, and the Hagrites; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
Assyria also is joined with them; they have been an arm to the children of Lot. Selah. Do Thou unto them as
unto Midian; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook Kishon; who were destroyed at En-dor; they became as
dung for the earth. Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, and like Zebah and Zalmunna all their princes;
who said: 'Let us take to ourselves in possession the habitations of God'. O my God, make them like the
whirling dust; as stubble before the wind. As the fire that burneth the forest, and as the flame that setteth the
mountains ablaze; so pursue them with Thy tempest, and affright them with Thy storm. Fill their faces with
shame; that they may seek Thy name, O Lord. Let them be ashamed and affrighted for ever; yea, let them be
abashed and perish; that they may know that it is Thou alone whose name is the Lord, the Most High over all
the earth.
Psalm 83
Because thou hast had a hatred of old, and hast hurled the Children of Israel unto the power of the sword in
the time of their calamity, in the time of the iniquity of the End; therefore, as I live, saith the Lord God, I will
prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee; surely thou hast hated thine own blood, therefore
blood shall pursue thee. Thus will I make Mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth
through and him that returneth. And I will fill his mountains with his slain; in thy hills and in thy valleys and
in all thy streams shall they fall that are slain with the sword. I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy
cities shall not return; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Because thou hast said: These two nations and
these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the Lord was there; therefore, as I live,
saith the Lord God, I will do according to thine anger and according to thine envy, which thou hast used out
of thy hatred against them; and I will make Myself known among them, when I shall judge thee. And thou
shalt know that I the Lord have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of
Israel, saying: 'They are laid desolate, they are given us to devour'. And ye have magnified yourselves
against Me with your mouth, and have multiplied your words against Me; I have heard it. Thus saith the
Lord God: When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate. As thou didst rejoice over the
inheritance of the House of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee; thou shalt be desolate, O
mount Seir, and all Edom, even all of it; and they shall know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 35:5-15
43
Many Muslims today say they can never make peace with Israel. From the point of view of the Qur'an
they are mistaken. Their persistent refusal to accept Israel stems from baseless hatred, and has nothing
to do with authentic Islam.
Some Muslims also acknowledge a prophecy in the Qur'an according to which the People of Israel
might return to its homeland, not at this time but at the End of Days, which they calculate will occur in
about 250 years.
Why then should they murder Jews in the meantime as demanded by the Mufti, who proclaimed in a
1943 broadcast on Radio Berlin during World War Two: Kill the Jews wherever you find them, this is
pleasing to Allah1.
Are those who argue this way sure their calculations are correct? Both the Qur'an and the Tanach tell us
that in the eyes of God one thousand years are like a day:
For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
Psalms 90:4
God will not fail His promise; and surely a day with thy Lord is as a thousand years of your counting.
Qur'an, Sura Hajj (Pilgrimage), 22:47 (Arberry translation, page 339) (standard numbering: 22:47)
The Qur'an tells us that the six days of creation, or six thousand years of mankind, may well be
shortened:
They will question thee concerning the Hour, when it shall berth. Say: 'The knowledge of it is only with my
Lord; none shall reveal it at its proper time, but He'.
Qur'an, Sura A'raf (The Battlements), 7:186 (Arberry translation, page 166) (standard numbering: 7:187)
'Nay, but they cry lies to the Hour; and We have prepared for him who cries lies to the Hour a blaze. When it
sees them from a far place, they shall hear its bubbling and sighing. And when they are cast, coupled in
fetters, into a narrow place of that Fire, they will call out there for destruction. 'Call not out today for one
destruction, but call for many!' Say: 'Is it better, or the Garden of Eternity, that is promised to the
godfearing, and is their recompense and homecoming?'
Qur'an, Sura Furqan (Salvation), 25:11-15 (Arberry translation, page 363) (standard numbering: 25:11-15)
Beware of miscalculations that encourage hatred. Zionism and the State of Israel are not new forms of
imperialism, as Muslims have falsely been led to believe. They are vehicles for fulfilling divine
promises proclaimed by the prophets of Israel and acknowledged by the Qur'an.
Ongoing hostilities against Israel may lead to the War of Gog and Magog, of which the Qur'an says:
There is a ban upon any city that We have destroyed; they shall not return till when Gog and Magog are
1
Page 122, Arab Theologians on Jews and Israel
44
unloosed, and they slide down out of every slope, and nigh has drawn the true promise, and behold, the eyes
of the unbelievers staring: 'Alas for us! We were heedless of this; nay, we were evildoers'.
Qur'an, Sura Anbiyaa (The Prophets), 21:96-98 (Arberry translation, page 331) (standard numbering: 21:95-97)
Who or what prompts you to enlist in the hordes of Gog and Magog?
In this context the Qur'an warns:
Upon the day when their faces are turned about in the Fire they shall say, 'Ah, would we had obeyed God
and the Messenger!' They shall say, 'Our Lord, we obeyed our chiefs and great ones, and they led us astray
from the way. Our Lord, give them chastisement twofold, and curse them with a mighty curse.
Qur'an, Sura Ahzab (The Confederates), 33:66 (Arberry translation, page 435) (standard numbering: 33:66-68)
The next verse admonishes:

O believers, be not as those who hurt Moses, but God declared him quit of what they said, and he was high
honored with God.
Qur'an, Sura Ahzab (The Confederates), 33:67 (Arberry translation, page 435) (standard numbering: 33:69)
A hadith now often quoted in the above context, has stones and trees saying: O Muslim, there is a Jew
behind me, come and slay him1. This is a sad prediction of what is happening now.
Are you taking words of stones and trees for commandments instead of the Word of God?
Transforming your own hearts into stones? Evil must come, but woe unto them through whom it
comes.
1.20 The Qur'an commands Muslims not to harm Jews
The Qur'an says Muslims must not harm Jews:
Dispute not with the People of the Book save in the fairer manner, except for those of them that go wrong;
and say: 'We believe in what has been sent down to us, and what has been sent down to you; our God and
your God are One, and to Him we have surrendered'.
Qur'an, Sura Ankabut (The Spider), 29:45 (Arberry translation, page 408) (standard numbering: 29:46)
Say: 'Have you considered? If it be from God, and you disbelieve in it, and a witness from among the
Children of Israel bears witness to its like, and believes, and you wax proud, God guides not the people of the
evildoers'.
Qur'an, Sura Ahqaf (The Sand Dunes), 46:9 (Arberry translation, page 522) (standard numbering: 46:10)
Page 122, Arab Theologians on Jews and Israel
45
Consider also these words of Muhammad2:

The ink of the scholar is more holy than the blood of the martyr. Faith is a restraint against violence. Let no
Muslim commit violence.
1.21 The Qur'an says that God will bring Peace and Reconciliation between Muslims and the
People of the Book (Jews and Christians)
Surrender to God is never shameful. It is the essence of Islam! Pride and stubbornness and their evil
consequences are shameful. Why should Muslims follow Pharaoh's path, which led to his destruction?
Both Jews and Muslims believe that God is merciful. His mercy is invoked in the daily prayers of both
faiths. God wants the destruction of neither Israel nor the Muslim nations. He wants us to honor Him
through love and peace.
The Qur'an says:
It may be God will yet establish between you and those of them with whom you are at enmity love. God is
All-Powerful; God is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate.
Qur'an, Sura Mumtahana (The Woman Tested), 60:7 (Arberry translation, page 578) (standard numbering: 60:7)
This confirms Isaiah's prophecy:

In that day shall Israel be third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land, whom
the Lord of Hosts shall bless, saying: 'Blessed be Egypt, My People; and Assyria, the work of My hands; and
Israel, Mine Inheritance'.
Isaiah 19:24-25
Interestingly enough, modern Syria sees itself as the heir of ancient Assyria.
Isaiah's prophecy explains the phrase from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates
(Genesis 15:18). It does not speak of imperialist conquests by Israel, as Muslim leaders allege. It means
that a just and lasting peace will prevail between Egypt, Assyria and Israel, under the sovereignty of the
God of Abraham.
Isaiah gives us a wonderful vision for the future of the Middle East, which the Qur'an supports:
We delivered him, and Lot, unto the land that We had blessed for all beings.
Qur'an, Sura Anbiyaa (The Prophets), 21:71 (Arberry translation, page 328) (standard numbering: 21:71)
The phrase the land We had blessed for all beings parallels passages from Psalms, which read:
for there has the Lord commanded the blessings, even life for ever more.
Psalm 133:3
2
From Thus spoke the Prophet Mohammed by Dr. M. Hafiz (Madras: 1971).
46
Lift up your hands towards the sanctuary, and bless the Lord. May the Lord bless thee out of Zion, He that
is the maker of heavens and earth.
Psalm 134:2-3
Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, even He that resideth in Jerusalem.

Psalm 135:21
We, the Children of Abraham, should unite in peace and build up a culture of our own, instead of
fighting each other and feeding the war industries of foreign nations.
We are related by faith and by blood. Different rituals which we observe should not lead to enmity
between us.
On the contrary, the Qur'an says:
If God had willed, He would have made you one nation; but that He may try you in what has come to you.
So be ye forward in good works; unto God shall you return, all together; and He will tell you of that whereon
you were at variance.
Qur'an, Sura Maida (The Table), 5:53 (Arberry translation, page 108) (standard numbering: 5:48)
It is from God that we follow different rituals:

We have appointed for every nation a holy rite that they shall perform.
Qur'an, Sura Hajj (The Pilgrimage), 22:66 (Arberry translation, page 341) (standard numbering: 22:67)
1.22 The Qur'an realtes the chosen-ness of the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Israel to God's
Land Covenant with Israel
The Qur'an even distinguishes between Abraham, Isaac and Israel on the one hand, and Ishmael on the
other:
Remember also Our servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob men of might they and of vision. Assuredly, We
purified them with a quality most pure, the remembrance of the Abode, and in Our sight they are of the
chosen, the excellent. Remember also our servants Ishmael, Elisha, and Dhul Kifl; each is among the
excellent.
Qur'an, Sura Sad (Zad), 38:45-48 (Arberry translation, pages 467-468) (standard numbering: 38:45-48)
According to these verses, the three patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Israel are described as purified,
chosen and excellent; while Ishmael, although being counted among the excellent, is not
mentioned as chosen. The chosen-ness of the three patriarchs has to do with the Land Covenant
which the Lord of All Beings made with them and their descendents, the Children of Israel:
47
In that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: 'Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the
river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates'.
Genesis 15:18
'As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a multitude of nations. Neither
shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of
nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings
shall come out of thee. And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee
throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee.
And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for
an everlasting possession; and I will be their God'.
Genesis 17:4-8
And the Lord appeared unto him, and said: 'Go not down unto Egypt; dwell in the Land which I shall tell
thee of. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I
will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore unto Abraham thy father; and I will
multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these lands; and by thy seed shall all
the nations of the earth bless themselves; because that Abraham hearkened to My voice, and kept My charge,
My commandments, My statutes, and My laws'.
Genesis 26:2-5
And God said unto him: 'I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations
shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; and the land which I gave unto Abraham and Isaac, to
thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land'.
Genesis 35:11-12
While every nation has its own distinctive characteristics, it is exactly this Land Covenant which molds
the People of Israel into something distinctive, unique in history.
The Qur'an stresses this repeatedly:
And when Moses said to his people: 'O My People, remember God's blessing upon you, when He appointed
People, enter the Holy Land which God has prescribed for you, and turn not back in your traces, to turn
about losers'.
Children of Israel, remember My blessing wherewith I blessed you, and that I have preferred you above all
beings.
48
Note also the distinction between the calls and levels of Abraham's son Isaac and grandson Israel, and
Abraham's son Ishmael:
We gave him Isaac and Israel, and each We made a Prophet; and We gave them of Our mercy, and We
appointed unto them a tongue of truthfulness, sublime (19:50).
And mention in the Book Ishmael; he was true to his promise, and he was a Messenger, a Prophet. He bade
his people to pray and to give the alms, and he was pleasing to his Lord (19:55).
Qur'an, Sura Maryam (Mary), 19:50, 19:55 (Arberry translation, pages 306-307) (standard numbering: 19:4950, 19:54)
1.23 The Qur'an says that Abraham and the Prophets of Israel were Muslims in a generic
sense, meaning those who submit to God
The Qur'an says:
No; Abraham in truth was not a Jew, neither a Christian; but he was a Muslim and one pure of faith;
certainly he was never of the idolaters.
Qur'an, Sura Al-i-Imran (The House of Imram), 3:60 (Arberry translation, page 55) (standard numbering: 3:67)
Then We revealed to thee: 'Follow thou the creed of Abraham, a man of pure faith and no idolater'.
Qur'an, Sura Nahl (The Bee), 16:124 (Arberry translation, page 272) (standard numbering: 16:123)
struggle for God as is His due, for He has chosen you, and has laid on you no impediment in your
religion, being the creed of your father Abraham; He named you Muslims aforetime
However, could Abraham have uttered the creed of Islam as it was to be established later on, that
There is no God besides God and Muhammad is His Prophet? The expression He [God] named you
Muslim aforetime shows that the term Muslim is here applied in its etymological sense, meaning
one who submits to God. This is brought out also by the ensuing admonition to Perform the prayer
and pay the alms and hold fast to God:
So perform the prayer, and pay the alms, and hold fast to God; He is your Protector an excellent
Protector, an excellent Helper.
A Muslim aforetime, one who submits to God, is a God-fearer, one who follows the universal faith
of Noah given to all mankind, rather than the member of a specific later religion:
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And God spoke unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying: 'As for Me, behold, I establish My covenant
with you, and with your seed after you; and with every living creature that is with you, the fowl, the cattle,
and every beast of the earth with you; of all that go out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. And I will
establish My covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of the flood; neither
shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth'. And God said: 'This is the token of the covenant which I
make between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I have set
My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth. And it shall come to
pass, when I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow is seen in the cloud, that I will remember My covenant,
which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a
flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the
everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth'. And God said
unto Noah: 'This is the token of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is upon
the earth'.
Genesis 9:8-17
It is in this sense that the Qur'an speaks of the prophets of Israel as those who have surrendered to God
(Muslims/God-fearers), despite the fact that the prophets and People of Israel were commanded to
observe ordinances and rites different from those of the descendants of Ishmael:
Surely We sent down the Torah, wherein is guidance and light; thereby the Prophets who had surrendered
themselves gave judgment for those of Jewry, as did the masters and the rabbis, following such portion of
God's Book as they were given to keep and were witnesses to.
Qur'an, Sura Maida (The Table), 5:48 (Arberry translation, page 106-107) (standard numbering: 5:44)
An example of such differences is the Sabbath. This day of rest and sanctification is for the Children of
Israel also a sign of God's covenant with them:
'Speak thou also unto the Children of Israel, saying: Verily ye shall keep My Sabbaths, for it is a sign
between Me and you throughout your generations, that ye may know that I am the Lord who sanctify you. Ye
shall keep the Sabbath therefore, for it is holy unto you; every one that profaneth it shall surely be put to
death; for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days shall
work be done; but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord; whosoever doeth any
work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the Children of Israel shall keep the
Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between
Me and the Children of Israel for ever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh
day He ceased from work and rested'.
Exodus 31:13-17
The Qur'an confirms this, and even ridicules Jews who do not observe the Sabbath as apes:
50
And well you know there were those among you that transgressed the Sabbath, and We said to them, 'Be
you apes, miserably slinking!; And We made it a punishment exemplary for all the former times and for the
latter, and an admonition to such as are godfearing.
Qur'an, Sura al-Baqarah (The Heifer), 2:63 (Arberry translation, page 8) (standard numbering: 2:65-66)
So far, the Sabbath was not ordained for Muslims. Some claim that Islam is universal, that all people
(including Jews) must adopt their own version of it.
The above citations show that the etymological designations Islam and Muslim include there the
People of the Sabbath (Israel) as well. This must be so. Otherwise, there would have been no need for
Abraham to have two sons, Ishmael and Isaac.
The statements from the Qur'an quoted above are favorable to the Children of Israel.
1.24 Qur'anic and Biblical condemnations of Israel's sins are always made within the context of
Qur'anic and Biblical affirmations of God's Land, Torah and People Covenants with
Israel
The Qur'an does criticize those members of the Children of Israel who do not have faith in God and
who do not observe the commandments of the Torah. The Qur'an never condemns the Children of
Israel as a whole for not observing the Torah's commandments. Qur'anic criticisms of the Children of
Israel can never be properly interpreted as abolishing God's covenant with Israel, nor can they be read
as replacing the Torah with the religion of Ishmael.
Nowhere in the Qur'an is there any prophecy that would do away with Israel's special status.
Nowhere in the Qur'an does it state that God's promises to Israel have been annulled. Prophets of the
One God cannot contradict one another. The Qur'an is in complete accord with the Tanach.
The prophets of Israel, from Moses to Zechariah, rebuke the Children of Israel more harshly for their
sins than does the Qur'an. Yet the Israelite prophets always stress God's forgiveness, grace and mercy,
and that the covenant He established with Israel will be fulfilled.
It is the triumph of God's Grace that will bring the nations to praise His Name:
Praise the Lord, all you nations, praise him, all you people, for his grace did prevail over us, and the Lord's
truth is forever. Praise you the Lord.
Psalm 117:1
1.25 Current Muslim hatred of Israel is a poisonous black hole, which will lead to severe divine
punishments on the Islamic World, as it led to severe divine punishments on Pharaoh and
the Egyptians
Hatred of Israel does not honor God's name. Submitting to His prophets does. Hatred is a black hole.
Once opened, it devours everything coming near to it.
51
This is verified by recent history. Today's Wahhabi jihad fanatics want to outdo one another in their
derision of Israel. They compete and even fight with one another for the position of supreme Jew-hater!
These Wahhabi jihad fanatics view Jews as the embodiment of cosmic evil. In so doing, they replace
the Islamic confession, There is no God besides God, with a dualistic world view which is pure
idolatry.
Muslims should beware of these perverted teachings. They will have dire consequences. I do not
indulge in propaganda.
Let us again consult the Qur'an:
Say: 'Have you considered? If it be from God, and you disbelieve in it, and a witness from among the
Children of Israel bears witness to its like, and believes, and you wax proud, God guides not the people of the
evildoers'.
Qur'an, Sura Ahqaf (The Sand-Dunes), 46:9 (Arberry translation, page 522) (standard numbering: 46:10)
Four historic examples prove my point:

1.26a Persian King Cyrus calls upon Jews to return to the Land of Israel and rebuild the Second
Temple of Jerusalem
Persian King Cyrus, founder of the Medeo-Persian Empire, recognizing the injustice done by
the Babylonians to the Jews, allowed them to return to their homeland. He ordered and financed the
building of the Second Temple. In the Book of Isaiah, God calls Cyrus His Messiah, the anointed of
the Lord:
Thus saith the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before
him, and to loose the loins of kings; to open the doors before him, and that the gates may not be shut.
Isaiah 45:1
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be
accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout
all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying: 'Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the
earth hath the Lord, the God of heaven, given me; and He hath charged me to build Him a house in
Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whosoever there is among you of all His people his God be with him let
him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel, He is the God
who is in Jerusalem'.
Ezra 1:1-3
In the Qur'an, Cyrus is mentioned honorably as Dhool Quarnain, which means that the Qur'an
regards Cyrus as an example worthy to be emulated. The name Dhool Quarnain literally means
Lord of Two Horns. According to Maulana Abu'Ikalam Azad, former minister of education in
52
India, this term does not refer to Alexander the Great, as often thought, but to Cyrus, king of the
Medeo-Persian double monarchy:
And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the stream a ram which had two horns;
and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
Daniel 8:3
The ram which thou sawest having the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia.
Daniel 8:20
They will question thee concerning Dhool Karnain. Say: 'I will recite to you a mention of him'. We
established him in the land, and We gave him a way to everything.
Qur'an, Sura Kahf (The Cave), 18:83 (Arberry translation, page 298) (standard numbering: 18:83-84)
126b. 638 C.E. Muslim Caliph Omar liberates Jerusalem from the Byzantine Christians and
welcomes Jews back to the Holy City
Muslim Caliph Omar, who liberated Jerusalem from the Byzantine Christians in 638 C.E., six years
after the death of Muhammad in 632 C.E., revoked Hadrian's 500 year-old ban on Jewish
settlement in Jerusalem, which the Byzantines had kept in force. Omar welcomed the Jews back to
Jerusalem. The returning Jews built the Bet HaMenorot (House of Menorahs) synagogue (named
for the menorahs drawn on its walls), excavated in 1998 by Professor Naveh Mazar of the Hebrew
University.
126c. 1187 C.E. Muslim Sultan Salah-e-Din liberates Jerusalem from the European Catholic
Crusaders and welcomes Jews back to the Holy City
Muslim Sultan Salah-e-Din, the great Kurdish leader who liberated Jerusalem from the European
Catholic Crusaders in 1187 C.E., suggested to Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (Maimonides, who was
Salah-e-Din's doctor) that he urge Jews to return and resettle Jerusalem (as recorded by another
Jewish scholar of those times, Rabbi Yehuda al-Harizi). The famous Ramban (Nachmanides)
Synagogue in Jerusalem's Old City, built by the returning Jews several decades later during the
period of Mameluk Muslim rule, bears witness to this return.
126d. 18th Century Muslim Sheikh Dahr-el-Omar invites Jews to resettle the Galilee
Muslim Sheikh Dahr-el-Omar, who took control of Galilee from the Turks in the 18th century, told
leading rabbis in Constantinople and Morocco that the period of Jewish exile was over and that
Jews should return to the Land of Israel to rebuild it. From that time on, the movement for Jewish
return to the Land of Israel gained momentum.
53
Many Muslim scholars from earlier times can be quoted. They would have been banished or murdered
by the Wahhabi jihad fanatics of today. Muslims should not automatically accept the contempt for
Israel preached by some of their leaders.
The Qur'an says:
God is our Lord and your Lord. We have our deeds, and you have your deeds; there is no argument
between us and you; God shall bring us together, and unto Him is the homecoming.
Qur'an, Sura Shura (Consultation), 42:14 (Arberry translation, page 500) (standard numbering: 42:15)
Repentance is always possible. According to the Qur'an, even Pharaoh, when he saw his army
drowning, came to his senses and admitted:
I believe that there is no god but He in whom the Children of Israel believe; I am of those that surrender.
Qur'an, Sura Yunus (Jonah), 10:90 (Arberry translation, page 207) (standard numbering: 10:90)
It is not my goal to promote a specific political agenda for current peace negotiations. My goal is to
see that we do not turn the precious teachings of our prophets into theological battle swords that cause
hatred and violence.
Prophetic teachings should guide us to humility and understanding of the shared destiny that we
Muslims and Jews must fulfill for our own benefit and ultimately for the benefit of all humanity.
54
Appendix
Contents of Peace Treaties between Israel and Arab Nations
It would be a grave mistake to restrict peace treaties to such practical questions as military
security, safe borders, trade, and resettlement of Jewish and Arab refugees.
Islamic misconceptions about the people and Land of Israel remain the primary cause for Arab
rejection of Israel as an independent state. Fundamental changes in these misconceptions must be part
of any peace treaty.
Islamic concepts that should be changed include Omar's Rules on the dhimmi (protected minority)
status accorded to the People of the Book (Jews and Christians). Jews during the period of the Israelite
Exile decreed by God may have been wanderers who could legitimately be subjected to such rules.
Now, after the return of part of the Children of Israel to the Land of Israel, continuing to apply Omar's
Rules assigning dhimmi status to Jews and Christians contradicts the letter and the spirit of the Qur'an.
It does not matter whether Omar's Rules were decreed by Caliph Omar or Omar the Ummayad king. As
a political decree issued by the Islamic state of of its day, Omar's Rules need have no religious
authority for Muslims of today.
Peace treaties between Muslims and Jews that do not formally annul Omar's Rules implicitly
acknowledge them as valid. A Palestinian State, if it should come about, could impose those Rules on
Jews living within its borders.
Moreover, Omar's Rules could provide the pretext for Islamic fundamentalists (Wahhabis) to
instigate new wars against Israel. These Rules could also be used to restrict or harm Jewish and Israeli
travelers in Muslim lands.
The State of Israel is not only a refuge for Jews fleeing persecution. Its jurisdiction extends to
protecting all Jews throughout the world, including those in Muslim lands.
The State of Israel cannot interfere with religious teachings in Islamic lands. However, Israel can
require that Muslim governments with which it signs peace treaties prevent the teaching of Omar's
Rules, refrain from putting them into effect, and instead further impart knowledge of the Qur'an's
positive teachings about Jews and Christians, the People of the Book.
Jews living in and visiting Muslim countries must enjoy the same rights that Israel extends to its
Muslim citizens and visitors. Israel's insistence on the abolition of Omar's Rules would draw the
world's attention to Islamic teachings about non-Muslims, classified as dhimmis in general, and the
meaning of those teachings for the Jewish People in particular.
55
Abraham's Prayer
When told by the Lord that in spite of their old age he and Sarah would have a son, Abraham prayed:
O that Ishmael might live before Thee!
Genesis 17:18
Abraham loved both Ishmael and Isaac. Therefore God had to tell Abraham:
Take now thy son, thine only whom you have loved, even Isaac.
Genesis 22:2
The specification even Isaac was to tell Abraham which of his two beloved sons, Ishmael and Isaac,
he should bring to Mount Moriah.
Abraham did not merely pray that Ishmael might live. Abraham was not concerned that Ishmael
would be threatened by Isaac, and that Ishmael would need a special prayer for protection from Isaac.
Abraham was concerned that Ishmael, biologically the firstborn, might try to take the whole Abrahamic
heritage for himself, and deprive Isaac of the divine promise.
Abraham prayed that Ishmael might live before the Lord. This prayer should encourage and guide
Ishmael to let his spiritual Abrahamic inheritance get the upper hand so that he will be alive in the
divine spirit, and consequently recognise also Isaac's call.
The two brothers, Ishmael and Isaac, and their descendants, Arabs and Jews today, should not fight
over Abraham's inheritance. They should compete in good works as the Qur'an, Ishmael's guide
book, says so well.
In the spirit of our father Abraham, let us, the Children of Ishmael and the Children of Israel, pray
together:
O that both of us Ishmael and Israel might live before Thee!
56
Summary
The Wahhabi1 ruling wing of Islam has severed its original ties with the Book (Tanach - Hebrew Bible)
and the People of the Book (Israel).
Wahhabis play out their idea of jihad and conquest of Jerusalem.
In the traditional Islamic view, jihad ends either with total victory or with total acknowledgment that
the jihad was wrong from the start.
The Qur'an itself suggests just such an acknowledgment, and can help pave the way to mutual
understanding and cooperation.
1.27 The Qur'an stresses the continued validity of the Book (Torah)
This Koran could not have been forged apart from God; but it is a confirmation of what is before it, and a
distinguishing of the Book, wherein is no doubt, from the Lord of all Being.
Qur'an, Sura Yunis (Jonah), 10:38 (Arberry translation, page 201) (standard numbering: 10:37)
assuring it.
Qur'an, Sura al-Ma'idah (The Table), 5:52 (Arberry translation, page 107) (standard numbering: 5:48)
True piety is this: To believe in God, and the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the Prophets, to give of
one's substance, however cherished, to kinsmen, and orphans, the needy, the traveler, beggars, and to
ransom the slave, to perform the prayer, to pay the alms.
And We gave Moses the Book, that haply they would be guided.
Qur'an, Sura al-Mu'minum (The Believers), 23:51 (Arberry translation, page 346) (standard numbering: 23:49)
We sent not any before thee, except men to whom We revealed: 'Question the people of the Remembrance, if
it should be that you do not know' with the clear signs, and the Psalms; and we have sent down to thee the
Remembrance that thou mayest make clear to mankind what was sent down to them; and so haply they will
reflect.
Qu'ran, Sura al-Nahl (The Bee), 16:45-47 (Arberry translation, page 263) (standard numbering: 16:43-44)
57
1.28 The Qur'an recognizes the teachings of the prophets and the rabbis
Surely, We sent down the Torah, wherein is guidance and light; thereby, the Prophets who had surrendered
God's Book as they were given to keep and were witnesses to.
Qu'ran, Sura al-Ma'idah (The Table), 5:48 (Arberry translation, pages 106-107)1 (standard numbering: 5:44)
1.29 The Qur'an recognizes the uniqueness of Israel and the unparalleled gifts to its people
(including the Land of Promise)
Indeed, We gave the Children of Israel the Book, the Judgment, and the Prophethood, and We provided
them with good things, and We preferred them above all beings.
And when We took compact with you, and raised above you the Mount: 'Take forcefully what We have given
you, and remember what is in it; haply you shall be godfearing'.
Then their Prophet said to them, 'Verily God has raised up Saul for you as king'. They said, 'How should he
be king over us who have better right than he to kingship, seeing he has not been given amplitude of wealth?'
He said, 'God has chosen him over you, and has increased him broadly in knowledge and body. God gives
the kingship to whom He will; and God is All-embracing, All-knowing'.
1.30 The Qur'an says that God gave the Land of Israel to the Children of Israel
And when Moses said to his people: 'O My people, remember God's blessing upon you, when He appointed
people, enter the Holy Land which God has prescribed for you, and turn not back in your traces, to turn
about losers'.
1.31 The Qur'an says that God settled the Children of Israel in the Land of Israel
And We brought the Children of Israel over the sea (10:90); And We settled the Children of Israel in a sure
settlement, and We provided them with good things (10:93).
Qur'an, Sura Yunis (Jonah), 10:90, 10:93 (Arberry translation, page 207) (standard numbering: 10:90, 10:93)
58
Notwithstanding Qur'an, Sura al-Tawbah (Repentance), 9:30-35 (Arberry translation, pages 182-183)
1.32 The Qur'an rebukes the Children of Israel for not fighting for the Land of Israel
And when We took compact with you, and raised above you the Mount: 'Take forcefully what We have given
you, and remember what is in it; haply you shall be godfearing'.
backs except for a few of them; and God has knowledge of the evildoers.
1.33 The Qur'an confirms David's Kingdom (Zion) and praises his Psalms. David is
acknowledged as divine viceroy on earth
Our servant David, the man of might, he was a penitent. With him We subjected the mountains to give glory
at evening and sunrise, and the bird, duly mustered, every one to him reverting; We strengthened his
kingdom, and gave him wisdom and speech decisive.
Qur'an, Sura Sad (Zad), 38:16-19 (Arberry translation, page 465) (standard numbering: 38:17-20)
David, behold, We have appointed thee a viceroy in the earth; therefore judge between men justly, and
follow not caprice, lest it lead thee astray from the way of God.
Qur'an, Sura Sad (Zad), 38:25 (Arberry translation, page 466) (standard numbering: 38:26)
Said those who reckoned they should meet God, 'How often a little company has overcome a numerous
company, by God's leave! And God is with the patient'. So, when they went forth against Goliath and his
hosts, they said, 'Our Lord, pour out upon us patience, and make firm our feet, and give us aid against the
people of the unbelievers'. And they routed them, by the leave of God, and David slew Goliath; and God gave
him the kingship, and Wisdom, and He taught him such as He willed. Had God not driven back the people,
some by the means of others, the earth had surely corrupted; but God is bounteous until all beings.
Qur'an, Sura al-Baqarah (The Heifer), 2:250-252 (Arberry translation, page 36) (standard numbering: 2:249251)
Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a costly
corner-stone of sure foundation; he that believeth shall not make haste.
Isaiah 28:16
59
1.34 The Qur'an, Psalms and Prophets of the Bible speak of Israel's return to the Land of Israel,
and to Jerusalem
We sent against you Our servants to discountenance you, and to enter the Temple, as they entered it the first
time, and to destroy utterly that which they ascended to. Perchance your Lord will have mercy upon you; but
if you return, We shall return; and We have made Gehenna a prison for the unbelievers.
Qur'an, Sura al-Isra (The Night Journey) - Bani Isra'il (Children of Israel), 17:7-8 (Arberry translation, pages
274-275) (standard numbering: 17:7-8)
He desired to startle them from the Land; and We drowned him and those with him, all together. And We
said to the Children of Israel after him, 'Dwell in the Land; and when the promise of the world to come
comes to pass, We shall bring you a rabble'.
Qur'an, Sura al-Isra (The Night Journey) - Bani Isra'il (Children of Israel), 17:105-106 (Arberry translation,
page 286) (standard numbering: 17:103-104)
1.35 Israel is often harshly rebuked in the Qur'an, but there is no cancellation of God's covenants
with and promises to Israel. On the contrary, the words of the prophets shall surely be
established
The promise of God! God fails not His promise, but most men do not know it.
Qur'an, Sura al-Rum (The Greeks), 30:5 (Arberry, 411) (standard numbering: 30:6)
So be thou patient; surely God's promise is true.

Qur'an, Sura al-Mu'minum (The Believers), 40:76 (Arberry translation, page 489) (standard numbering: 40:77)
it was said, 'God's promise is true, and the Hour, there is no doubt of it'.
1.36 The Qur'an calls Abraham a true Muslim

No; Abraham in truth was not a Jew, neither a Christian; but he was a Muslim and one of pure faith;
certainly he was never of the idolaters.
Qur'an, Sura al-Imran (The House of Imran), 3:60 (Arberry translation, page 55) (standard numbering: 3:67)
being the creed of your father Abraham; He named you Muslims aforetime.
Qur'an, Sura al-Hajj (Pilgrimage), 22:78 (Arberry translation, page 342) (standard numbering: 22:78)
60
And when Abraham, and Ishmael with him, raised up the foundations of the House: 'Our Lord, receive this
from us; Thou art the All-hearing, the All-knowing; and, our Lord, make us submissive to Thee, and of our
seed a nation submissive to Thee; and show us our holy rites, and turn towards us; surely Thou turnest, and
art All-compassionate'.
Qur'an, Sura al-Baqarah (The Heifer), 2:123 (Arberry translation, page 16) (standard numbering: 2:127-128)
1.37 The Qur'an calls the prophets true Muslims

Surely, We sent down the Torah, wherein is guidance and light; thereby, the Prophets who had surrendered
God's Book as they were given to keep and were witnesses to 1.
Qur'an, Sura al-Ma'idah (The Table), 5:48 (Arberry translation, page 106-107) (standard numbering: 5:44)
1.38 The Bible says that Abraham established Mount Moriah in Jerusalem for the Children of
Israel
And He said: 'Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of
Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of'.
Genesis 22:2
Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where (the Lord)
appeared unto David his father; for which provision had been made in the Place of David, in the threshing
floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Second Book of Chronicles 3:1
1.39 The Qur'an says that Abraham established the Ka'ba in Mecca for the Children of Ishmael
And We made covenant with Abraham and Ishmael: Purify My House for those that shall go about it and
those that cleave to it, to those who bow and prostrate themselves'.
Notwithstanding that the Children of Israel are commanded to observe the Sabbath and that their direction of prayer is
towards Jerusalem: First Book of Kings, 8:30, 42-43 And hearken Thou to the supplication of Thy servant, and of Thy
people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place; yea, hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling-place; and when Thou hearest,
forgive (8:30); for they shall hear of Thy great name, and of Thy mighty hand, and of Thine outstretched arm -- when he
shall come and pray toward this house hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the stranger
calleth to Thee for; that all the peoples of the earth may know Thy name, to fear Thee, as doth Thy people Israel, and that
they may know that Thy name is called upon this house which I have built. (8:42-43)
61
And when Abraham, and Ishmael with him, raised up the foundations of the House: 'Our Lord, receive this
from us; Thou are the All-hearing, the All-knowing; and, our Lord, make us submissive, and of our seed a
nation submissive to Thee; and show us our holy rites, and turn towards us; surely Thou turnest, and art Allcompassionate'.
Qur'an, Sura al-Baqarah (The Heifer), 2:122-123 (Arberry translation, page 16) (standard numbering: 2:127128)
1.40 The Qur'an says that the Qiblah (direction of prayer) for Muslims is the Ka'ba of Mecca, and
for Jews it is the Temple Mount (bayt al-maqdis) of Jerusalem
Yet if thou shouldst bring to those that have been given the Book every sign, they will not follow thy
direction; thou art not a follower of their direction, neither are they followers of one another's direction.
Every man has his direction to which he turns; so be you forward in good works. Wherever you may be,
God will bring you all together; surely God is powerful over everything.
Yet have Thou respect unto the prayer of Thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken
unto the cry and to the prayer which Thy servant prayeth before Thee this day; that Thine eyes may be open
toward this house night and day, even toward the place whereof Thou hast said: My name shall be there; to
hearken unto the prayer which Thy servant shall pray toward this place. And hearken Thou to the
supplication of Thy servant, and of Thy People Israel, when they shall pray toward this place; yea, hear Thou
in heaven Thy dwelling-place; and when Thou hearest, forgive.
First Book of Kings 8:28-30
1.41 The Qur'an acknowledges different religious rites and laws for different peoples, and urges
all of us to compete in good works
Every man has his direction to which he turns; so be you forward in good works. Wherever you may be,
God will bring you all together; surely God is powerful over everything.
We have appointed for every nation a holy rite that they shall perform. Let them not therefore wrangle with
thee upon the matter, and do thou summon unto thy Lord; surely thou art upon a straight guidance. And if
they should dispute with thee, do thou say, 'God knows very well what you are doing. God shall judge
between you on the Day of Resurrection touching that whereon you were at variance'. Didst thou not know
that God knows all that is in heaven and earth? Surely that is in a Book; surely that for God is an easy
matter.
Qur'an, Sura Hajj (Pilgrimage), 22:66-69 (Arberry translation, page 341)
62
1.42 The Qur'an acknowledges Jewish law for Jews

Yet how will they make thee their judge seeing they have the Torah, wherein is God's judgment, then
thereafter turn their backs? They are not believers. Surely We sent down the Torah, wherein is guidance and
light, thereby the Prophets who had surrendered themselves gave judgment for those of Jewry, as did the
masters and the rabbis, following such portion of God's Book as they were given to keep and were witnesses
to. So fear not men, but fear you Me; and sell not My signs for a little price. Whoso judges not according to
what God has sent down they are the unbelievers. And therein We prescribed for them: 'A life for a life, an
eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds retaliation'; but
whosoever forgoes it as a freewill offering, that shall be for him an expiation. Whoso judges not according to
what God has sent down they are the evildoers.
Qu'ran, Sura al-Ma'idah (The Table), 5:48-49 (Arberry translation, pages 106-107) (standard numbering: 5:4344)
1.43 The Qur'an acknowledges Christian law for Christians

And We sent, following in their footsteps, Jesus son of Mary, confirming the Torah before him; and We gave
to him the Gospel, wherein is guidance and light, and confirming the Torah before it, as a guidance and an
admonition unto the godfearing. So let the people of the Gospel judge according to what God has sent down
therein. Whosoever judges not according to what God has sent down they are the ungodly.
Qu'ran, Sura al-Ma'idah (The Table), 5:50-51 (Arberry translation, page 107) (standard numbering: 5:46-47)
1.44 The Qur'an acknowledges Muslim law for Muslims

assuring it. So judge between them according to what God has sent down, and do not follow their caprices,
to forsake the truth that has come to thee.
Qu'ran, Sura al-Ma'idah (The Table), 5:52 (Arberry translation, pages 107-108) (standard numbering: 5:48)
1.45 The Qur'an commands mutual respect between Muslims, Jews and Christians, with each
community judged by its own law
To every one of you We have appointed a right way and an open road. If God had willed, He would have
made you one nation; but that He may try you in what has come to you. So be you forward in good works;
unto God shall you return, all together; and He will tell you of that whereon you were at variance. And judge
between them according to what God has sent down, and do not follow their caprices, and beware of them
lest they tempt thee away from any of what God has sent down to thee.
Qu'ran, Sura al-Ma'idah (The Table), 5:53-54 (Arberry translation, page 108) (standard numbering: 5:48-49)
63
1.46 The Qur'an says that God wants to be honored with forgiveness and love
God took compact with the Children of Israel; and We raised up from among them twelve chieftains. And
God said, 'I am with you. Surely, if you perform the prayer, and pay the alms, and believe in My Messengers
and succour them, and lend to God a good loan, I will acquit you of your evil deeds, and I will admit you to
gardens underneath which rivers flow. So whosoever of you thereafter disbelieves, surely he has gone astray
from the right way'. So for breaking their compact We cursed them and made their hearts hard, they
perverting words from their meanings; and they have forgotten a portion of that they were reminded of; and
thou wilt never cease to light upon some act of treachery on their part, except a few of them. Yet pardon
them, and forgive; surely God loves the good-doers.
Qu'ran, Sura al-Ma'idah (The Table), 5:15-16 (Arberry translation, pages 101-102) (standard numbering: 5:1213)
It may be God will yet establish between you and those of them with whom you are at enmity love. God is
All-powerful; God is All-forgiving, All-compasionate.
Qur'an, Sura Mumtahana (She Who is Tested), 60:8 (Arberry translation, page 578) (standard numbering: 60:7)
And say: 'I believe in whatever Book God has sent down: I have been commanded to be just between you.
We have our deeds, and you have your deeds; there is no argument between us and you; God shall bring us
together, and unto Him is the homecoming'.
Qur'an, Sura Shura (Counsel), 42:14 (Arberry translation, page 499-500) (standard numbering: 42:15)
The words of the prophets of Ishmael and Israel provide the basis for true peace.
64
Additional Notes
Qur'anic citations are from The Qur'an Interpreted by Arthur Arberry (London: Oxford University
Press, 1964).
65
Glossary
1. Dar al-Islam - Realm of Peace.
2. Dar al-Harb - Realm of War.
3. Dhimmi - Second class citizenship accorded to Christians and Jews in Muslim lands.
4. Hadith - Oral traditions of the sayings of Muhammad.
5. Hegira- Flight of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina.
6. Jihad - Original Meaning: Performing Divine Commandments that involve hardship. Current
Meaning: Holy War.
7. Qur'an - Muslim Holy Scriptures.
8. Tanach - Jewish Holy Scriptures consisting of the Torah, Prophets and Writings.
9. Torah - Divine Instruction, the Five Books of Moses.
10. Ulema - Muslim clergy.
11. Wahhabi - Wahhabis, as they are called by Sunnis and Shi'ites, call themselves Salafis.
Wahhabism is the tribal religious cult of the Al Saud tribe of the region of Najd in the Arabian
Peninsula. After seizing control of Mecca and Medina from the Hashemites in 1926, the Al
Saud tribal ruler, Ibn Saud, proclaimed the establishment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in
1933.
66
Section Two
Rome, Italy
67
Introduction to Section Two

Dr. Eder hoped that a prophetic figure would arise in the world of Islam to speak openly about what the
Qur'an really taught regarding the God, Land, Torah and People of Israel. One day, I read about him.
Moshe Kohn, of blessed memory, wrote a weekly column for The Jerusalem Post called "A View from
Nov". In one of Moshe's columns, from August, 1996, he described a Muslim scholar who came from
Rome to Jerusalem for a Jewish Law conference.
This was the Third International Conference on Jewish Law organized by Professor Nahum Rakover,
Deputy Attorney General of Israel at the time. This Muslim scholar was stating openly at the
conference that the Qur'an said God gave the Land of Israel to the Children of Israel, and that
Jerusalem and the Temple Mount should stay under Israeli Jewish sovereignty.
The scholar was Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi. Professor Rakover met him the previous year, in 1995, at
a conference in Turkey, and invited him to speak in Jerusalem. It was Sheikh Palazzi's first visit to
Israel.
Professor Rakover gave Dr. Eder and me Sheikh Palazzi's contact information. Dr. Eder and Sheikh
Palazzi began to correspond with each other, first by letter, then by fax (this was 1996).
Sheikh Palazzi accepted an invitation from Dr. Eder to serve as Muslim Co-Founder and Co-Chair of
an Islam-Israel Fellowship. That was how our Fellowship got started twelve years ago.
Jerusalem, Israel
March 16, 2010 C.E.
68
Section Two
Chapter One
Jerusalem: Three-Fold Religious Heritage for a Contemporary
Single Administration
Address to the Third International Seminar on the Sources of
Contemporary Law Jerusalem July, 1996
Excerpted from
Jerusalem: City of Law and Justice:
Proceedings of the Third International Seminar on the Sources of Contemporary Law
Jerusalem - July, 1996
Published by the Library of Jewish Law,
Jewish Legal Heritage Society,
Ministry of Justice,
Jerusalem, Israel
69
Opening Remarks by Professor Nahum Rakover

Mr. President; President of the Supreme Rabbinical Court Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron; your Honors
President of the Supreme Court Professor Aharon Barak, State Comptroller Mrs. Miriam Ben-Porat and
former President of the Supreme Court Justice Moshe Landau; Chief Rabbis of Jerusalem and Haifa;
Minister of Justice Professor Yaakov Ne'eman; President of the Israel Bar Association Dror Hoter-Ishai
and President of the New York County Lawyers' Association Klaus Eppler; Supreme Court Justices
past and present, including our friend and colleague Justice Haim H. Cohen; Religious Court Judges;
Rabbis, Magistrates, Ladies and Gentlemen.
This is the third in a series of seminars devoted to the contribution of Jewish Law to modern legal
systems. Like its predecessors, this seminar is being held under the auspices of the Israel Ministry of
Justice and under the aegis of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Israel Bar Association and the
New York County Lawyers' Association. The participants have come from fourteen countries and are
of different faiths Jews, Christians and Muslims.
Our topic is Jerusalem City of Law and Justice. There is surely no need to elaborate on the special
relationship between Jerusalem and Law, Jerusalem and Justice. It was the Jewish People who gave the
world the basic values of law and justice, of human rights.
Our object in this seminar is to stress the contribution of Jewish sources not only to the classical legal
systems that contribution is now a matter of common knowledge but also, and in particular, the
vital significance of Jewish law and sources for modern jurisprudence, here and now. We tend at times
to place greater emphasis on what we have received from others, and less on what we have and what
we have given to other nations.
I would like to think that one outcome of this gathering, as of its predecessors, will be the realization
that the legal systems of many other nations have taken up and assimilated ideas originally propounded
in Jewish Law; in many cases, our own system has given birth to ideas that other nations were at first
unwilling or unprepared to embrace. I am indeed convinced that much of contemporary Jewish Law
will ultimately find its way into the legal systems of the world at large.
Jerusalem that same Jerusalem which is constantly occupying the forefront of the national and
international stage has always been the City of Law and Justice.
I do not wish to bore you, and neither would it be proper to mention only some of our speakers.
Nevertheless, I would like to refer specifically to one lecture, that of our distinguished visitor, Professor
Abdul Hadi Palazzi, Director of the Istituto Culturale della Comunita Islamica Italiana (Cultural
Institute of the Italian Islamic Community) in Rome, who will speak on the sanctity of Jerusalem to the
Jewish People.
70
The sources he intends to quote, from both the Bible and the Qur'an, indicate that, just as Mecca is
sacred to Islam, so is Jerusalem sacred to Judaism. He sees no contradiction in the fact that Jerusalem,
also sacred to the Muslims, should be under Jewish sovereignty.
As he tells us, he is no politician; he is merely giving us the benefit of his opinion as a theologian, a
religious scholar: There is nothing wrong, he says, with Jerusalem being the undivided capital of the
Jewish State, under Israeli sovereignty.
Here is ample illustration of my conviction that our ideas may be corroborated from various directions.
And this is, I repeat, only one of the topics to be discussed here.
I am indebted to President Weizman for hosting the opening session of the seminar. Let me express the
hope that our discussions will be interesting and fruitful.
71
Jerusalem: Three-Fold Religious Heritage for a Contemporary Single

Administration
Any discussion of the problem of sovereignty over Jerusalem necessarily means involvement in a kind
of investigation that has political, cultural, psychological and religious implications. For Jew or
Muslim, religious or secular, thinking of Jerusalem means to feel reason and sentiment mingled
together.
In this paper I do not want to enter into specific features directly connected with politics; but, as a
Muslim scholar and man of religion, only to try and determine whether, from an Islamic point of view,
there is some well-grounded theological reason that makes it impossible for Muslims to accept the idea
of recognizing Jerusalem both as an Islamic holy place and as the capital of the State of Israel.
2.1.1 Sovereignty belongs to God
First, I would like to emphasize that the idea of considering Jewish immigration to the Land of Israel as
a western invasion, and Zionists as new colonizers, is very recent and has no relation to the basic
features of Islamic faith. According to the Qur'an, no person, people or religious community can claim
a permanent right of possession over a certain territory, since the earth belongs exclusively to God,
Who is free to entrust sovereign rights to anyone He likes and for as long as He likes:
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Say: 'O God, King of the kingdom, Thou givest the kingdom to whom Thou pleasest, and Thou strippest off
the kingdom from whom Thou pleasest; Thou endurest with honour whom Thou pleasest, and Thou bringest
low whom Thou pleasest; all the best is in Thy hand. Verily, Thou hast power over all things'.
Qur'an, Sura Al-i-Imran (The Imrans), 3:26 (Palazzi translation)
From this verse one can deduce a basic principle of the monotheistic philosophy of history: God can
choose as He likes as to relationships between peoples and countries. Sometimes He gives a land to a
people, and sometime He takes His possession back and gives it to another people. In general terms,
one might say that He gives as a reward for obedience and takes back as a punishment for wickedness,
but this rule does not permit us to say that God's ways are always plain and clear to our understanding.
2.1.2 Anti-Zionism is un-Islamic
The idea of Islam as a factor that prevents Arabs from recognizing any sovereign right of Jews over
Palestine is quite recent and can by no means be found in Islamic classical sources. To see anti-Zionism
as a direct consequence of Islam is a form of explicit misunderstanding which implies the
transformation of Islam from a religion into a secularized ideology.
72
This was originally done by the late mufti of Jerusalem, Amin al-Husseini, who was responsible for
most of the Arab defeats and during World War Two collaborated with Adolf Hitler. Later, Jamal elDin Abd el-Nasser based his policy on Pan-Arabism, hatred for Jews and alliance with the Soviet
Union. All these doctrines were the real cause of Arab backwardness. Most of Nasser's mistakes were
afterwards corrected by the martyr Anwar Sadat.
Following the defeat of Nasserism, fundamentalist movements made anti-Zionism an outstanding
part of their propaganda, trying to describe the so-called fight for liberation of Palestine as rooted in
Islamic tradition and derived from religious principles.
2.1.3 Both the Bible and the Qur'an confirm that God gave the Land of Israel to the Children of
Israel, and that He will bring the Children of Israel back to the Land of Israel at the End
of Days
This plan for the transformation of Islam into an ideology of political struggle nevertheless encounters
a significant obstacle, since both Qur'an and Torah indicate quite clearly that the link between the
Children of Israel and the Land of Canaan does not depend on any kind of colonization project but
directly on the will of God Almighty.
As we learn from Jewish and Islamic Scriptures; God, through His chosen servant Moses, decided to
free the offspring of Israel from slavery in Egypt and to make them inheritors of the Promised Land.
Whoever claims that Jewish sovereignty over Palestine is something recent and dependent on political
machinations is in fact denying the history of revelation and prophecy, as well as the clear teachings of
the holy books.
The Qur'an cites the exact words with which Moses ordered the Israelites to conquer the Land:
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And (remember) when Moses said to his people: 'O My People, call in remembrance the favour of God unto
you, when he produced prophets among you, made you kings, and gave to you what He had not given to any
other among the peoples. O My People, enter the Holy Land which God has assigned unto you, and turn not
back ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to your own ruin.
Qur'an, Sura Maida (The Table), 5:20-21 (Palazzi translation)
Moreover and fundamentalists (Wahhabis) always forget this point the Holy Qur'an quite
openly refers to the reinstatement of the Jews in the Land of Israel before the Last Judgment, where it
says:
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And thereafter We said to the Children of Israel: 'Dwell securely in the Promised Land. And when the last
warning will come to pass, We will gather you together in a mingled crowd'.
Qur'an, Sura al-Isra (The Night Journey) - Bani Isra'il (Children of Israel), 17:104 (Palazzi translation)
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2.1.4 Jewish Sovereignty over Jerusalem

The most common argument against Islamic acknowledgment of Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem is
that, as al-Quds is a holy place for Muslims, they cannot accept its being ruled by non-Muslims,
because such acceptance would be a betrayal of Islam.
Before expressing our point of view on this question, we must reflect upon the reason that Jerusalem
and the al-Aqsa Mosque hold such a sacred position in Islam. As everyone should know, the definition
of Jerusalem as an Islamic holy place depends upon al-Mi'raj, the Ascension of the Prophet
Muhammad to heaven, which began from the Holy Rock.
While remembering this, we must admit that there is no real link between al-Mi'raj and sovereign
rights over Jerusalem, since when al-Mi'raj took place the city was not under Islamic, but under
Byzantine administration. Moreover, the Qur'an expressly recognises that Jerusalem plays the same
role for Jews that Mecca has for Muslims.
We read:
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They would not follow thy direction of prayer (qibla), nor art thou to follow their direction of prayer; nor
indeed will they follow each other's direction of prayer.
Qur'an, Sura Al Baqarah (The Heifer), 2:145 (Palazzi translation)
All Qur'anic commentators explain that thy qibla is clearly the Ka'ba of Mecca, while their qibla
refers to the Temple Mount (bayt al-maqdis) in Jerusalem. To cite just one of the most important of
them, we read in Qadi Baydawi's commentary:
Verily, in their prayers Jews orient themselves toward the Rock (sakhrah), while Christians orientated
themselves eastwards.
M. Sheikh Zadeh, Hashiyya ala tafsir al-Qadi al-Baydawi, (Istanbul: 1979)
As opposed to what Islamic fundamentalists (Wahhabis) continuously claim, the Book of Islam as
we have just now seen recognises the Temple Mount (bayt al-maqdis) in Jerusalem as the Jewish
direction of prayer. Some Muslim exegetes also quote the Book of Daniel as proof of this:
And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house -- now his windows were open in
his upper chamber toward Jerusalem -- and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and
gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
Daniel 6:11
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After reviewing the most relevant Qur'anic passages in this connection, one easily concludes that, as no
one wishes to deny Muslims complete sovereignty over Mecca, from an Islamic point of view there is
no sound theological reason to deny Jews the same rights over Jerusalem.
If we see ourselves as religious men, we must necessarily include justice among our qualities. As
regards the argument, we have to admit that the same idea of justice requires that we treat Jews,
Christians and Muslims equally. No community can demand for itself privileges that it is not ready to
recognise for others.
We know that Roman Catholics see Rome as their own capital. The fact that Rome has the largest
mosque in Europe and an ancient Jewish community does not alter its role as the world center of
Catholicism. Even more can be said of Mecca: It is the main religious center for Muslims the world
over and is completely under Islamic administration.
Respecting this principle of fair-mindedness, we necessarily conclude that Israelis as a nation and Jews
as a religion must have their own political and religious capital, under their sole administration, even
though it contains certain places regarded as sacred by the other two Abrahamic faiths (Christianity and
Islam).
To my mind, this is the only realistic ground for any discussion of the future of the Holy City. The
other parties must understand that Jews will never agree to have less rights than other religions, and
that Israelis will never agree to see David's City divided into two parts.
If everyone was happy to see the Berlin Wall destroyed, it was because the very idea of forced
separation within a single city is something objectionable to human sensitivity. We cannot even think
of creating another Berlin in the heart of the Middle East. Of course, the idea of two Jerusalems, if
ever realized, will by no means be a solution, but a source of new troubles and conflicts.
It is quite clear that the future of Jerusalem requires general agreement. In our opinion, the only reliable
partners for Israel seem to be the Holy See and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. They must
understand that Israelis will never agree even to discuss the possibility of dividing their capital and
spiritual center, while Israel must grant Christians and Muslims considerable autonomy in the
administration of their respective Holy Places.
Those who speak of Jerusalem as the future capital of two different states know very well that this
kind of proposal has no basis in reality. It is time to suggest imaginative solutions, and to become
involved in a global project for the development of the Middle East as a whole, so that peaceful
coexistence with Israel can make a real contribution to overcoming the backwardness of most Islamic
countries.
2.1.5 Prohibiting Jews, Christians and other non-Muslims from praying on the Temple Mount
(bayt al-maqdis)
The administration of the holy places in Jerusalem is a very complicated issue, and it is not possible
here to enter into details. We would nevertheless like to mention something that appears unbearable for
any person of religious conscience: The fact that at present the Islamic administration of bayt al75
maqdis (Temple Mount) permits Jews to visit the Temple Mount but not to pray there. There are
special officials in the area whose task is to ensure that Jewish visitors on the Temple Mount are not
moving their lips in prayer.
To my mind, this is clearly opposed to Islamic prescriptions and rules. We have seen that the Holy
Qur'an declares the Rock a qibla (direction of prayer) for Jews. How then, is it possible that in the
name of Islam someone dares to forbid Jews to pray in the place that God has appointed as their
qibla?
This is a clear example of a case in which pseudo-religious principles may work against the real spirit
of religion. Moreover, we must ask: Is it possible for someone who believes in God to forbid another
human to pray? What kind of religion can let us interfere in the relationship between the Creator and
His creatures?
On this point the Qur'an says:
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When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close to them: I answer the prayer of every
suppliant who calleth on Me.
Qur'an, Sura al-Baqarah (The Cow), 2:186 (Palazzi translation)
This verse explains that God is always close to His servants when they are praying. Wherever we are
and whoever we are, according to the Qur'an we can be sure that God is listening to our prayers and
will answer them, although, of course, we are not always able to understand His response.
This being the case, no one who believes in God can possibly prevent others praying, notwithstanding
the fact that they belong to another religious tradition.
The very idea of opposing someone's prayers reveals a really deep lack of faith.
2.1.6 Jewish-Muslim Relations
As to Jewish-Muslim relationships, we heartily agree with the decision of Samuel Sirat, President of
the Council of European Rabbis. Until now, interreligious dialogue has been hampered for political
reasons; but, from a theological point of view, dialogue between Jews and Muslims is easier than, say,
dialogue between Jews and Christians.
In the past, Ibn Gabirol (Avicebron), Maimonides, Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and Ibn Rushd (Averroes) were
not isolated intellectuals, but part of a world of discourse transcending confessional links. If we reflect
on the level of interreligious dialogue in past centuries, we must frankly admit that in this respect we
have been moving backwards.
True, one can blame this on the political situation, but that does not free intellectuals and men of
religion from their responsibility. Today, looking toward the future, we must again create the same kind
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of intellectual atmosphere, until it will become common for Islamic theologians to read Buber and
Levinas, and for Jewish scholars to study the works of Sha'rawi and Ashmawi.
Israeli intellectuals, for their part, must be ready to understand that a new attitude is emerging among
some Islamic thinkers. Many of us are now ready to admit that hostility for Israel has been a great
mistake, perhaps the worst mistake Muslims have made in the second half of this century.
2.1.7 Obligation of Muslim leaders in democratic nations to speak out
For those Muslim leaders who live in Europe, in democratic countries and not under dictatorships, this
declaration is not so dangerous as for those of our brothers who live in Arab countries. We know that,
in those countries too, there is a certain part of the educated population that does not blindly accept
anti-Israel propaganda; but freedom of expression is considerably limited in their societies.
It is very important for us to verify that we are not alone in our cultural activity. In our efforts not to
repeat past mistakes; we must know that there is someone else who appreciates and shares our goals.
Readiness to understand the signs of the times requires us to recognise that it is now possible for Jews
and Muslims to recognise one another once again as branches of the single tree of monotheism, as
brothers descended from the same father, Abraham, forerunner of faith in the Living God.
In the field of comparative studies, there are broad prospects for common work. We can investigate the
past and understand common features in the development of kabbalah and tasawwuf (Jewish and
Muslim mystical traditions). We can study the respective influence of Jewish halakhah (Jewish law and
jurisprudence) and Islamic sharia (Islamic law and jurisprudence).
Apart from these examples, our general guideline must be the principle that, the more we discover our
common roots, the more we can hope for a common future of peace and prosperity.
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78
Section Two
Chapter Two
Orthodox Islamic Perceptions of Jihad
Address to the International Conference on Countering Suicide
Terrorism, Institute for Counter-Terrorism, Interdisciplinary Center,
Herzliya, Israel, February 20-23, 2000
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Orthodox Islamic Perceptions of Jihad

I want to thank the International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism for the invitation to speak at
this International Conference, in front of this distinguished and highly qualified public.
My main goal is to make a distinction between traditional Islamic concepts of jihad and martyrdom and
the distortion of those concepts made by Wahhabi radical movements which promote terrorism and
claim to do so in the name of Islam.
This distinction is obviously a more general aspect of a basic dualism, and permits us to understand in
detail differences between orthodox and traditional Islam on the one hand the religion which was
revealed by the Prophet Muhammad and whose main sources are the Qur'an and prophetic tradition
(sunnah) and the contemporary ideology that is commonly referred to as Islamic fundamentalism
(Wahhabism)1.
As a Muslim scholar, I must first of all remark that I cannot agree with this same definition, so
common in the contemporary media. As a matter of fact, I personally never deal with Islamic
fundamentalism or Islamic radicalism, but rather with pseudo-Islamic radicalism. This depends
on the fact that Wahhabi fundamentalism is not a legitimate form of Islam, but an evident distortion
of Islamic values, an attempt to change Islam from a religious tradition into a political, totalitarian
ideology.
2.2.1 Islam and Islamism (Wahhabism)
Some Muslim scholars, such as my friend and colleague, Professor Khalid Duran of Temple University
of Philadelphia, mark the distinction between orthodox Islamic doctrine and its Wahhabi political
counterfeit by calling the former Islam and the latter Islamism.
Professor Duran writes:
Whether Islamists [WAHHABIS] like the term 'fundamentalist' or not, their understanding of religion
resembles that of 'fundamentalists' in other religions. This is not to say that Islamists [WAHHABIS] are more
'religious' or more genuinely 'Islamic' than other Muslims. A common misunderstanding in the West has it
that Islamists [WAHHABIS] are the one hundred percenters among Muslims, and that they are the people of
Tradition.
This is not at all the case. Islamists [WAHHABIS] have a problem with the people of Tradition, especially the
Sufis (mystics). Islamism is a late 20th century totalitarianism [WAHHABISM TODAY]. It follows in the wake of
fascism and communism, picking up from those and seeking to refine their methods of domination. Islamists
mold tradition so as to serve their political ends.
This causes them [WAHHABIS] to clash with traditionalist Muslims who resist this manipulation of religion for
power politics. Islamism [WAHHABISM] is not a reaction of people feeling a loss of religious meaning, but a
reaction to a sense of loss in the political sphere; it is a quest for power, an attempt to conquer the state, not
1
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to regain independence for religion, least of all individual faith.
As with most totalitarian ideologies, Islamism (Wahhabism) is utopian. Islamists (Wahhabis) seek to
dominate by the most advanced technologies; in that sense they are modernists. But their model for an
ideal society takes inspiration from an idealized seventh century Arabia and an a-historical view of
religion and human development in general. It is an anachronistic mode of thinking in conflict with
modern concepts of democracy, pluralism and human rights.
A relevant difference between traditional (or orthodox) Islam and Islamism (Wahhabism) is in the
way of understanding the link between religion and politics.
Few Muslims would deny that political commitment is part of Islamic ethics, but most disagree with
the Islamist (Wahhabi) insistence that there exists a clearly defined Islamic system, different from all
other political systems. Islamists (Wahhabis) refuse to accept a secular state that puts a member of a
non-Muslim minority on par with a member of the Muslim majority, and a woman at par with man.
2.2.2 Prophets and Political Leaders
According to traditional Islamic theology, prophets are sent among human beings to teach them some
necessary truths about the nature of God, about ethics, about those actions and those omissions which
cause prosperity in this world and beatitude in the hereafter.
It can sometimes happen that those prophets are called to preach in a milieu where a state and a
complex social organization does not exist at all, and this causes them to assume a role of political
leadership.
This was, for instance, the role of Moses as a leader of the Children of Israel in the Exodus from Egypt,
or the position of Muhammad as a governor of the state centered in Medina. Even so, Islamic
orthodoxy teaches that this happens by accident, and political leadership is not among the necessary
elements of prophethood.
As a matter of fact, the Qur'an uses different titles to describe the Prophet Muhammad, but none of
these titles refers to a political function.
The Qur'an says that Muhammad has been sent as an Admonisher, as a Warner, as someone who
calls to God, as a shining light, but it never says that he was sent as a political leader or as a head of
state.
Islamists (Wahhabis), on the contrary, have a diametrically opposed attitude. From their point of view,
the diffusion of Islam cannot be separated from the creation of a claimed Islamic state. The role of
Muslim scholars is immediately confused with the role of leaders of a political movement or party.
Islamists (Wahhabis) continuously repeat the slogan that Islam is both religion and government. This
is the basic description of their creed. What they forget to note is that those words Islam is both
religion and government (al-Islam din wa dawlah) are neither found in the Holy Qur'an, hadith
(sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) or in ancient, authoritative Islamic sources.
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As a matter of fact, this slogan (al-Islam din wa dawlah) was coined by Taqiyyu-d-Din Ibn Taymiyyah,
a scholar who lived in Damascus during the thirteen and fourteenth centuries C.E. and who was
condemned to life imprisonment for his numerous heresies.
Those who repeat Ibn Taymiyyah's slogan Islam is religion and government are the same ones who,
for instance, deal with liberation of Jerusalem from the hands of the Jews. Unfortunately for them,
the heretic Ibn Taymiyyah, from whom they take their slogan, is the same one who strongly denies any
special role of Jerusalem in Islam.
Ibn Taymiyyah openly writes that there is no Muslim holy place in Jerusalem, but his followers
claim to fight for the liberation of Jerusalem in the name of Ibn Taymiyyah. This is a clear example
of how Islamism (Wahhabism) is a confused ideology, wherein contradictions are covered up with
silence.
2.2.3 Islamism (Wahhabism): Symptom of Western-Style Secularization
While many Western researchers are inclined to describe Islamism (Wahhabism) as a form of
resurgence of Islam, traditional Muslim scholars see its appearance as a symptom of secularization,
as a reshaping of our religion into a modern, ideological totalitarianism. This is especially evident in
the Islamist (Wahhabi) deformation of the role of jihad. In the original meaning, jihad is not limited to
the military field, but generally means striving hard toward a goal.
2.2.4 Jihad
According to some sayings of the Prophet Muhammad that are contained in the compilation called
Sahih al-Bukhari, Delivery is the jihad of a woman, while The jihad of someone who has old
parents is taking care of them. Military jihad was not a form of expansion of the religion by means of
the sword, but a form of defense against religious persecution.
The Qur'anic verses giving permission for military jihad say:
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To those against whom war is made, permission is given (to defend themselves), because they are wronged.
And verily God is Most powerful for their aid. (They are) those who have been expelled from their homes in
defiance of right (for no cause) except that they say, 'Our Lord is God'. Had not God checked one people by
means of another, there would surely have been pulled down monasteries, churches, synagogues and
mosques, in which the name of God is commemorated in abundant measure. God will certainly help those
who help His cause, for verily God is Full of strength, exalted in Might.
Qur'an, Sura Hajj (Pilgrimage), 22:39-40 (Palazzi translation)
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As one can see, military jihad is not meant to expand a certain faith, but to defend the rights of those
who are persecuted because of their religion. The verses which describe violation of religious freedom
as a justification for self-defense are clear in including not only mosques, but also monasteries,
churches and synagogues, among the places where God's name is frequently mentioned, and among the
places that are necessary to protect, even by recourse to war.
Apart from this, the legitimate form of military jihad is regulated by very strict rules:
2.2.5 Rules for Conducting Military Jihad
Military jihad must be conducted by a regular army waging war against another army. Terrorist acts
against civilian populations are not included in the definition of jihad. The collection of prophetic
sayings that we have already mentioned, Sahih al-Bukhari, narrates that when the Prophet Muhammad
was informed that a certain group of fighters for jihad had killed some women, he raised his hands and
prayed by saying, O God, be my witness that my hands are innocent of this crime.
The reaction in self-defense must not be exaggerated. The primary example for this is the story of
Moses and the Egyptian, as narrated in the Qur'an. In defending an Israelite who was being beaten by
an Egyptian, Moses killed the Egyptian. No doubt, the Israelite was a member of the oppressed people,
one of those who were persecuted because of their religion and enslaved, while the Egyptian was one
of the oppressors. This event could even been described as a legitimate form of jihad. However, the
Qur'an does not support this opinion and regards Moses' reaction as excessive. Moses himself asks God
to forgive him for killing the Egyptian.
1. The Qur'an says:
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And he entered the city at a time when its inhabitants were in a state of heedlessness; and he found therein
two men fighting, one of his own religion and the other of his enemies. And he who was of his party sought
his help against him who was of his enemies. So Moses struck the latter with his fist, and thereby caused his
death. Then Moses said, 'This is Satan's doing, he is indeed an enemy, a manifest misleader'. He said, 'My
Lord, I have wronged my soul, so do Thou forgive me'. So He forgave him; for He is Most Forgiving, ever
Merciful.
Qur'an, Sura Qasas (The Story), 28:15-16 (Palazzi translation)
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And fight in the way of God against those who fight against you, but do not exaggerate. Verily, God does
not love those who exaggerate.
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When an enemy is ready to cease hostilities and looks for ways to make peace, Muslims must stop
fighting and agree to seek a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
The Qur'an says:
And make ready for those who fight you whatever you can of armed force and of mounted pickets at the
frontier, whereby you may frighten the enemy of God and your enemy and others besides them whom you
know not, but God knows them. And whatever you spend in the way of God, it shall be paid back to you in
full, and you shall not be wronged. But if they incline towards peace, incline thou also towards it, and put thy
trust in God. Surely, it is He Who is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
Qur'an, Sura Anfal (The Spoils), 8:59-60 (Palazzi translation)
2.2.6 Martyrdom
Martyrdom in Islam is the praiseworthy path of one who offers his life to witness the Truth. Shahid, the
word that we translate in English as martyr, etymologically means witness, someone whose
existence is a living witness, even after his death.
About martyrs, the Qur'an says:
Think not of those who have been slain in the cause of God, as dead. Nay, they are alive in the presence of
their Lord, and are granted gifts from Him; jubilant because of that which God has given them of His
bounty; and rejoicing for the sake of those who have not yet joined them from behind them, because on them
shall come no fear nor shall they grieve. They rejoice at the favour of God and His bounty, and at the fact
that God suffers not the reward of the believers to be lost.
Qur'an, Sura Al-i-Imran (The Imrans), 3:169-170 (Palazzi translation)
2.2.7 Suicide
Regarding suicide, it is clearly forbidden by Islamic law, even in a case where one committing suicide
is supposedly doing it for a good cause.
The Qur'an says:
And do not kill yourselves, for God is indeed merciful to you.
Qur'an, Sura Nisaa (Women), 4:29 (Palazzi translation)
This verse underscores how committing suicide directly negates divine mercy.
In another verse the Qur'an says:
And do not throw yourselves into destruction with your own hands.
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The evil status in the Hereafter of those who commit suicide is described in a saying of the Prophet
Muhammad found in Sahih Muslim, another authoritative compilation:
Whoever kills himself with a knife will be in hell forever stabbing himself in the stomach. Whoever drinks
poison and kills himself will drink it eternally in the Hell fire. And whoever kills himself by falling off a
mountain will forever fall in the fire of Hell.
In view of all these clear proofs, one is spontaneously led to ask himself the question: How is it
possible for some groups which claim to be Islamic and to represent Islam to advocate both
terrorism against civilian populations and suicide terrorism?
2.2.8 Wahhabis and Suicide Terrorism
Suicide terrorism is just one of the fruits of a heretical tendency based on the deformation and
falsification of many basic elements of Islamic belief. Although those extreme consequences are recent
enough, their point of departure must be identified with the beginnings of the Wahhabi heretical
movement.
Understanding the nature and theoretical apparatus of Wahhabism is essential for the comprehension of
contemporary Islamist radicalism, and also for consideration of possible countermeasures.
In traditional Islam it is clear that military jihad and all other forms of material jihad only represent the
external face of jihad. The inner dimension of jihad is the struggle that every Muslim undertakes to
purify his soul from mundane desires, defects and egotism.
According to a well-known tradition, after coming back from a military expedition, the Prophet
Muhammad said, We have returned from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad (raja'na min jihad alasghar ila jihad al-akbar).
Muhammad was asked, O Messenger of God, what is the greater jihad? He answered, It is the jihad
against one's soul.
This question and Muhammad's answer has always been cited by Sunni scholars when explaining the
inner dimension of jihad. Sufis especially have cited this exchange as an antidote to a narrow, militaryonly understanding of the nature of jihad.
Wahhabis, on the contrary, completely reject this tradition, in the same way that they deny any deeper
understanding of Islamic doctrine. The recently vanished leader of the Wahhabi sect, Nasir ad-Din alAlbani, resorted to every possible specious argument to prove that the tradition cited above is not
authentic, and that the greater jihad simply does not exist.
On the contrary, we think that meditating on this tradition contributes very much to understanding the
present predicament of those who confuse jihad with terrorism. Crimes against civilian populations can
never be a legitimate form of jihad for the simple reason that such crimes are driven by hatred, the most
irrational of human passions.
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Since fighting anti-human passions such as hatred is itself a form of greater jihad, refuting those who
abuse Islam to legitimize terrorism is also a very important form of real jihad.
2.2.9 Origins of the Wahhabi Sect
Regarding the origins of the Wahhabi sect, we must remember that the beginning of the eighteenth
century of the Common Era witnessed the emergence of a new movement in the Arabian Peninsula.
This movement would shatter the spiritual equilibrium of the Islamic world and lead to an explosion of
primitive, violent and anti-intellectual tendencies.
The rallying cry of returning to origins was the primal scream of a primitivism that destroyed the
life-giving variety of Islamic religious culture. Multiplicity of opinion was replaced with monolithic
and simple-minded dogmatism.
Eighteenth century Arabia was among the most desolate areas of the Ottoman Empire. Arabia's only
claim to fame was the fact that its territory included the two holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Ottoman
sultans were satisfied with nominal sovereignty over this region. Power was effectively in the hand of
local emirs and tribal chieftains whose loyalty toward the sultan was dependent on cash payoffs such as
exemption from taxation and a share in government revenues.
The city of Mecca was an autonomous district of the Ottoman Empire, under the administration of the
emir, the oldest living representative of the Hashemite family. As a descendant of the Prophet
Muhammad, the emir of Mecca was among the first called upon to express support when a new sultan
was selected. The support of the emir for a new sultan was seen as one of the most important bases of
popular legitimacy for an Ottoman government.
2.2.10 Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab
The man who broke the chain of the pluralistic transmission of Islamic teachings was Muhammad Ibn
'Abd al-Wahhab, a descendent of the Banu Tamim Tribe, who was born in the Uyaynah village in the
province of Najd in 1699 C.E. Wahhab's father was a learned Hanbali scholar who sent his son to study
Qur'anic exegesis, jurisprudence and mysticism in Mecca, Medina, Baghdad, Basrah and Damascus, as
well as in Iran and India.
Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab's attitude from the beginning was very polemical, and he took active part in
scholarly debates. At the age of thirty-two, Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab returned to Najd to work as a teacher
for Bedouins. He demonstrated proficiency in academic debates and independence in judgment.
Wahhab did not follow the principles of any one of the four Sunni schools of Islamic jurisprudence.
Rather, he liked to reach his own conclusions and was ready to criticize sages regarded by all Muslim
scholars as authoritative.
Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab became convinced that Islamic society was degenerate and in need of reform. In
his opinion, the traditional veneration of Muslim saints was idol-worship and those involved in such
practices were apostates from Islam. In his analysis of alleged deviations and corruptions Wahhab
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became more and more extreme. He was finally excommunicated by his former teachers and even by
scholars from his own family.
2.2.11 Wahhab and Ibn Sa'ud
In 1730 C.E. Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab met Muhammad Ibn Sa'ud, tribal leader of a gang of roving raiders
from Dar'iyyah whose profession was robbing pilgrims and travelers in the desert of Najd. As most
Bedouins living in Dar'iyyah were completely illiterate, Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab had no difficulty in
convincing them of his ideas.
Ibn Sa'ud and Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab made a deal whereby Ibn Sa'ud was proclaimed political leader
(emir) and Wahhab was proclaimed religious authority (sheikh). The sheikh declared that he was
ready to issue a religious decree (fatwah) whereby non-Wahhabi Muslims (for example, Sunnis and
Shi'ites) were branded apostates and idol-worshippers.
This arrangement gave Ibn Sa'ud the cloak of religious legitimacy he needed to continue robbing and
murdering innocent people. His gang was no longer a mob of traveling tribal rapists, thieves and
murderers and his victims were no longer innocent people. Ibn Sa'ud's storm troopers were now
fighters for jihad, authorized to murder unbelievers, plunder their property and rape their women.
For the first time in the history, jihad was proclaimed against Muslims, and even against the Ottoman
state, whose sultan was considered the heir of the Prophet Muhammad and the highest Islamic
authority. This obviously opened the way for many other cases in which the concept of jihad was
deformed.
Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab also ordained missionaries (wakil) and sent them to preach his heresy in Mecca.
However, scholars living in the holy city already understood how dangerous Wahhab's doctrine was.
Sayyid Ahmad Zayni Dahlan was at that time chief mufti of Mecca.
Dahlan wrote in his book al-Futuhat al-Islamiyyah:
To deceive scholars in Mecca and Medina, those people sent emissaries to Mecca and Medina, but these
missionaries were not able to answer questions asked by Sunni scholars. It became evident that they were
ignorant heretics. Muftis of the four schools wrote a fatwah that declared them renegades, and this document
was distributed throughout the entire Arabian Peninsula. The emir of Mecca, Sharif Mas'ud ibn Sa'id,
ordered the Wahhabis imprisoned. Some Wahhabis fled to Dar'iyyah and informed their leader of what was
happening.
(Palazzi translation)
Another scholar of that period, Muhammad Ibn Sulayman Effendi wrote:

O Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, do not slander Muslims! I admonish you for God's sake! Does anyone
of them say that there is a Creator besides God? If you have anything to argue against Muslims, please, show
them authoritative proofs. It is more correct to call you, a single person, an unbeliever, than to call millions
of Muslims unbelievers. God says, 'If anyone contends with the Messenger after guidance has been plainly
conveyed to him, and follows a path other than the one followed by Believers, we shall leave him in the path
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he has chosen, and land him in Hell, quite an evil refuge!' (Qur'an, Sura Nisaa/Women], 4:114). This
verse points to the results of departing from Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah.
2.2.12 Turkish Sultan orders the Governor of Egypt to crush the Wahhabi rebellion
When the plea from the mufti of Mecca reached the sultan in Istanbul, the sultan ordered Muhammad
'Ali Pashah, governor of Egypt, to march on Najd and suppress the Wahhabi rebellion.
Among the Sunni scholars who refuted Wahhabism we may also mention Sayyid Dawud Ibn
Sulayman, Mawlana Khalid al-Baghdadi, Sun'allah al-Halabi al-Makki al-Hanafi, Muhammad Ma'sum
as-Sarhindi and Muhammad Ibn Sulayman al-Madani ash-Shaf'i.
ash-Shafi was the Shaf'i mufti of Medina, who was asked to write a fatwah against Muhammad Ibn
'Abd al-Wahhab. This fatwah is cited in the book Ashadd al-Jihad (The Stronger Jihad) and states:
This man is leading the ignoramuses of the present age to a heretical path. He is trying to extinguish God's
light, but God will not permit His light to be extinguished, in spite of the opposition of polytheists, and will
illuminate every place with the light of Ahl as-Sunnah.
Although thousands of Muslims were murdered by Wahhabis, the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah continued
to refute Wahhabism in their books. One example of these refutations is what the mufti of Mecca,
Ahmad Zayni ad-Dahlan al-Makki ash-Shaf'i, wrote in a work entitled Fitnah al-Wahhabiyyah (The
Wahhabi Sedition) stating:
In 1802 C.E. they Marched with large armies to the area of at-Tayf. In Dhu al-Qa'dah of the same year, they
laid siege to the area occupied by Muslims, defeated them, and murdered all the people, including men,
women, and children. They also looted the Muslims' belongings and possessions. Only a few people escaped
their barbarism.
They even stole gifts from the Noble Grave of the Prophet, took all which was there, and engaged in similar
acts of profanation.
In 1786 C.E. they laid siege to Mecca the Blessed and then surrounded it from all directions to tighten their
siege. They blocked the routes to the City and prevented supplies from reaching there. This caused great
hardship to the people of Mecca. Food became very expensive and then unavailable. The people resorted to
eating dogs.
These events, which we have briefly described above, disfigured the face of the Islamic world. Mecca
and Medina, the two sanctuaries from which Islam spread worldwide, were no longer centers for the
transmission of the Sunni heritage of Islamic teachings. They became places where certain aspects of
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worship according the four schools of Islamic jurisprudence were suppressed and replaced by a
primitive and literalist cult which was propagated through violence and coercion.
But the drama did not stop there. As with all other forms of totalitarian ideology, Wahhabism is
expansionist by nature. The Wahhabi goal was first to conquer the entire Islamic world, and then to
expand its influence to the world beyond.
2.2.13 Saudi Arabian controlled Mecca becomes international center for World Islamic League
The establishment of a world center for Wahhabi propaganda (the so-called World Islamic League) in
Mecca was the final result of a plan whose goal was to replace orthodox Islam with a puritanical socalled Salafi School1. Dogmatic uniformity began to suffocate the humane and enlightened Islamic
tradition. The distortion of notions such as jihad and martyrdom had a central role in the expansionist
Wahhabi ideology.
From the second half of the nineteenth century C.E. and onward, Salafis (as Wahhabis define
themselves) targeted as their main opponents to be silenced the University of al-Azhar al-Sharif in
Egypt and other traditional centers of Sunni teachings. Sunnis have always been alert to sectarian
trends in theological interpretation.
2.2.14 The Muslim Brotherhood
The main instrument for the Wahhabisation of Arab society was an organization called Ikhwan alMuslimun (Muslim Brotherhood). The Brotherhood's founder was Hasan al-Bannah (1906-1949), an
elementary school teacher from Ismailiyyah who became one of the leaders of pro-British Masonry 2 in
Egypt.
From a religious point of view, al-Bannah was a reformer (but not so advanced in his knowledge of
Islamic tradition). From a political point of view, he was radically anti-Ottoman. By creating his own
sect, al-Bannah's goal was to develop a new ruling class whose ideology would be a form of
modernized and westernized Islam. Obviously, as was the Wahhabi way, he described the fight of
his followers against their Sunni Muslim opponents as jihad.
Since then, leadership within the Muslim Brotherhood movement is hereditary. Only members of
certain families can hope to get important positions. After World War Two, Nasser attempted to outlaw
the sect, but this drove the Muslim Brotherhood underground.
In February, 1982, the Syrian dictator Assad bombed Hama, a Syrian city which was a major Muslim
Brotherhood center, slaughtering ten to thirty thousand men, women and children. Members of the
Brotherhood became more secretive than ever. They learned to deny any connection to the
organization, and even refuse to acknowledge that the Brotherhood exists at all.
1
Masonic United Lodge of England, Mother of the World
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From this point of view, there are similarities between internal Wahhabi power struggles and those of
organized crime. Wahhabi leaders are extremely arrogant in imposing their will on legitimate Muslim
organizations and communities.
In most cases, so-called militant Islamic fundamentalists (Wahhabis) are from a religious point of
view lay people with little background in Islamic studies. They are appointed as imams of important
mosques, especially in democratic countries where there is no ministry of religious affairs to check
their orientation and where imams having legitimate authorization to teach (ijazah shar'i) are the
exception.
In most Western countries, members of the Wahhabi Muslim Brotherhood sect immigrated as
university students and started setting up legal front organizations in different sectors of society.
2.2.15 Hamas
The Palestinian Hamas is one of the important Ikhwan (Wahhabi Muslim Brotherhood) controlled
organizations in the Middle East. Hamas leaders do not come from the Brotherhood's founding
families. On a worldwide level the Ikhwan leadership is as before in the hands of Syrian and Egyptian
elements.
For a radical Wahhabi militant who is poor, ignorant and fanatic, his life dream is to throw stones,
commit acts of terrorism and become a suicide bomber to murder himself and as many innocent people
as possible.
For a Wahhabi militant with a bit more brains, his life dream is to travel abroad as a student and
became a full time professional agitator and propagandist. He will spend his life visiting mosques in the
U.S., England, France, Germany, Italy, etc., and speak (and it is nothing over talk) about jihad for
Palestine, fighting against the Zionist enemy and other such slogans.
In so doing, the brainier radical will receive a generous, regular salary and money to finance his
activities. He will probably also learn how to collect donations, not only from major donors but also
from local followers.
Their doctrine is that people doing social work can keep the money they collect. They start collecting
money for poor children in Palestine, for refugees in Kosovo, for Bosnia, and after a week their
leaders have new luxury items, which obviously are not declared as private property.
2.2.16 Islamic Relief and Human Appeal International
The Egyptian branch of the Wahhabi Muslim Brotherhood controls a charitable institution called
Islamic Relief. The Palestinian branch (Hamas) is supported by the United Arab Emirates through
Human Appeal International.
Ikhwani (Wahhabi Muslim Brotherhood) beliefs were theologically refuted by Sunni scholars of the
Ottoman period. After World War Two, King Faysal of Saudi Arabia was in need of allies against
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secular Nasserianism. The Egyptian leader of the Brotherhood, Sayyed Qutb, therefore received
unexpected financial support from Saudi King Faysal for the Brotherhood's worldwide activities.
From then on, the vast majority of Ikhwans (Muslim Brotherhood members) adopted Wahhabi
doctrines. Only an insignificant minority of them are Sunni. Qutb's heir today is Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an
Egyptian professor who controls the ministry of religious affairs in Qatar.
The fund raising game exploits conflicts between the Egyptian, Syrian and Palestinian sections of the
Brotherhood. As soon as, for example, Saudi Arabia starts increasing its support for one faction of the
Brotherhood, Kuwait and the Emirates finance that faction's internal opponents. Real local leaders
never have official positions inside the dependent organizations. Their legal representatives are usually
employed as figureheads only.
2.2.17 Council for American-Islamic Relations (C.A.I.R.)
The Council for American-Islamic Relations (C.A.I.R.) is a Wahhabi Muslim Brotherhood front
organization. It works in the U.S. as a lobby against radio, television and print media journalists who
dare to produce anything about Islam that is at variance with their fundamentalist (Wahhabi) agenda.
C.A.I.R. opposes diversity in Islam. It is aggressive and close minded. Notwithstanding C.A.I.R.'s clear
connection to Hamas, C.A.I.R. has been regarded by U.S. administrations as a legitimate representative
of the Muslim American community.
2.2.18 American Muslim Council (A.M.C.)
Another branch of the Wahhabi Muslim Brotherhood, the American Muslim Council (A.M.C.), has a
monopoly on the appointment and training of Muslim chaplains in the U.S. Army. While
non-fundamentalist (non-Wahhabi) Islamic organizations are more or less ignored by U.S.
administrations, Muslim American soldiers receive spiritual assistance from Wahhabi
fundamentalist chaplains.
These are only some of the consequences stemming from Saudi-American relations.
2.2.19 Unheeded Warning from Hisham Kabbani
The leader of the Nazimi-Kabbani organization, the American-Lebanese Hisham Kabbani, recently
declared in an open forum with the U.S. State Department:
We would like to advise our government, our congressmen, that there is something big going on and people
do not understand it. You have many mosques around the U.S. It is not an organized government policy to
supervise mosques as it is in Muslim countries.
In Muslim countries, you cannot open a mosque by yourself. That is why you see that in Muslim countries
you cannot find extremist [WAHHABI] ideology. As soon as you find extremist [WAHHABI] ideology, they [MUSLIM
COUNTRIES] kick the extremists [WAHHABIS] out and bring in the traditional Islamic scholars.
So the most dangerous things are going on in these mosques that have self-appointed [WAHHABI] leaders
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throughout the U.S. The extremist [WAHHABI] ideology makes them very active. It was by election that these
[WAHHABI] leaders took over the mosques.
We can say that they [WAHHABIS] took over eighty percent of the mosques in the U.S. There are over 3,000
mosques in the U.S. This means that the [WAHHABI] ideology of extremism has been spread to eighty percent
of the Muslim population, mostly the youth and the new generation.
Kabbani is trying to show Westerners the reality behind the deceptive facade. Over eighty percent of all
mosques in democratic countries are controlled by Wahhabi extremists. This is a matter of fact, not
only in North America, but in most of Western Europe as well.
2.2.20 Ikhwani (Muslim Brotherhood) Organizations
Local Ikhwani (Muslim Brotherhood) organizations are linked through a single secret world body.
Membership in the secret world body requires an oath of strict secrecy.
Therefore, until recently it was impossible to find anything in writing about the organization's
international structure, or even its existence.
Since 1928 and throughout seventy years of Ikhwani activity, not a single piece of paper was ever
signed or published in the name of the Muslim Brotherhood. Since March 13, 1998, the Californian
branch of the Brotherhood has its own web site explaining the nature of the sect as follows:
al-Ikhwan [WAHHABI MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD] has branches in over 70 countries all over the world. The
movement is flexible enough to allow working under the 'Ikhwan' name, under other names, or working
according to every country's circumstances.
However, all Ikhwan groups, in all countries are characterized by the following with respect to their method:
Poliical Activism: By putting political programs for 'Islamisizing' government in different countries (after
realistic studies), and establishing these programs through the convenient ways which do not conflict with
Islam.
Stressing Physical Health: By forming sports clubs and committing members to regular exercises...
Establishing a Sound Economic Infrastructure: By supporting and (or sponsoring any Islamic project and
facing its 'fiqh' problems. By the way, the only accepted source of money to the Ikhwan is its members' own
money.
In the contemporary world, opening a web site and calling its index the home page of... is one of the
most evident forms of giving publicity to a certain activity. Even so, the tradition of secrecy and the
tendency to deny being a member is so deeply rooted that the home page of the Californian branch of
the Muslim Brotherhood ends with the following note:
Important Disclaimer: The maintainer of this page is not a member of the al-Ikhwan party and does not
approve or agree with everything they say. This page is for the sole purpose of answering the questions you
always had and never knew who to ask. This page has no political purpose of any kind and no connection
whatsoever to any organization or institution.
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2.2.21 Union of Islamic Communities (U.C.O.I.I.) and Union of Muslim Students in Italy
(U.M.S.I.)
In Italy, my country, there are two Wahhabi Muslim Brotherhood Ikhwan-controlled organizations:
The Union of Islamic Communities and Organizations in Italy (U.C.O.I.I.) and the Union of Muslim
Students in Italy (U.M.S.I.).
Although their membership does not exceed one hundred persons, due to a steady flow of foreign funds
they are able to control a certain number of mosques in Italy. In the past few years two of their leaders,
'Omar Tariq and Abu Ja'far, were expelled by a decree of the Italian minister of the interior at that time,
Nicola Mancino. Their presence in Italy was considered to be dangerous for national security and
public order.
2.2.22 Misuse of Religious Freedom
Religious freedom granted by Western governments is having terrible consequences. Wahhabi radical
movements, local branches of those same structures which promote terrorism in Middle East, are taking
roots in the countries of immigration. Although they do not represent in their host nations more than
10% of the total Muslim populations residing there, Wahhabi radical movements control most mosques
in Europe, the U.S. and Canada.
This situation has many causes. First of all, traditional Muslims do not identify religious identity with
membership in an organized group. Wahhabi radicals, on the contrary, are not a spontaneous
movement, but a worldwide organized network.
Wahhabis work through thousands of different front groups, but the secret Muslim Brotherhood is
always the inner circle behind the stage.
2.2.23 Muslim Brotherhood backed by countries regarded as moderate and friends of the
West: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Arab Emirates
From this point of view, the distinction between moderate and extremist regimes in the Muslim
world reveals its inner weakness.
Countries such as Sudan, Iran and Afghanistan are easily identified as radical, totalitarian and enemies
of the Western world, but their contribution to the international network of pseudo-Islamic Wahhabi
fundamentalism is insignificant.
On the contrary, the powerful structure of the Wahhabi Muslim Brotherhood is mainly supported by
those countries regarded as moderate and friends of the West: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Arab
Emirates.
Wahhabi fundamentalism is used as a tool for maintaining the status quo in the Arab world. Rich oil
producing Arab nations fear peace between Israel and Egypt, Jordan or the Palestine Authority very
93
much. A peaceful Middle East can create serious problems for the autocratic and feudal systems of
those Arab regimes.
They know for sure that the diffusion of notions such as human and civil rights, democracy and parity
of rights between men and women can represent the end of their unlimited power. This is the reason
why these rich, oil producing Arab countries support Wahhabi radicalism as an instrument to block the
advancement of education and culture in the Arab and Muslim world.
The more progressive Arab nations are well aware of this plan to preserve Arab backwardness. The
governments of Tunisia, Morocco, and Jordan are taking measures to limit and to put the activities of
the Wahhabi fundamentalist networks under control.
Unfortunately, the real risk is that these same Wahhabi groups illegal in Tunisia, Morocco and Jordan
will become self-appointed official representatives to Western governments of Muslim immigrants in
Western countries.
2.2.24 Supporting the diffusion of the teachings of exponents of traditional, Sunni Islam
As Hisham Kabbani and Khalid Duran are doing in the U.S., the Italian Muslim Assembly works to
inform European governments about the risks they face. While we risk very much in so doing, it seems
that until now our cry of alarm is the unheeded voice of one who cries in the wilderness.
The best means to limit the influence of Saudi and Gulf State backed Wahhabi groups which promote
suicide terrorism in the name of Islam is to counter their influence by supporting the diffusion of the
teachings of exponents of traditional, Sunni Islam.
In the same way, non-Muslims must not be confused into believing that real Islam is the sectarian
variety propagandized by the Wahhabis and their fundamentalist networks.
2.2.25 The Islam-Israel Fellowship of the Root and Branch Association, Ltd.
My friend Dr. Asher Eder, Jewish Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of the Islam-Israel Fellowship of the
Root and Branch Association, has written a historic essay (originally published in 1969) entitled Peace
is Possible between Ishmael and Israel according to the Qur'an and the Tanach, with a preface written
by myself.
This essay is of the greatest importance, and I felt honored in writing its preface. It helps non-Muslims
to understand that the teaching of the Qur'an is something radically different from what is claimed by
fundamentalists (Wahhabis). It also helps Muslims to understand that hatred against Israel and Jews
is by no means a part of authentic Islam.
Dr. Eder's essay may be considered a small seed, but we are now realizing how it is bearing fruit with
the passage of time.
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2.2.26 Islam Karimov, President of Uzbekistan

The president of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, has recently founded a new Islamic International
University in Tashkent. Among the main goals of the university there is the graduation of imams and
religious leaders trained in the spirit of the authentic Sunni Muslim tradition, adept at refuting Wahhabi
fundamentalism and in promoting cooperation between Muslims, Jews and Christians, and sincere
believers of all faiths.
This could mean that, for the first time, a Sunni Muslim, anti-Wahhabi (anti-fundamentalist)
international coalition will at last be created. In comparison with the worldwide influence of the Saudi
and Gulf State funded Wahhabi Muslim Brotherhood, the role of such a Sunni Muslim international
coalition may be compared to that of David facing Goliath.
2.2.27 Never Lose Hope!
However, we are forbidden to lose hope.
As the Qur'an says:
How oft, by God's will, hath a small force vanquished a big one? Verily, God is with those who steadfastly
persevere.
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96
Section Two
Chapter Three
Osama Bin Laden
97
OSAMA BIN LADEN

the powerful structure of the Wahhabi Muslim Brotherhood is mainly
supported by those countries which are regarded as 'moderate' or
'friends of the West': Wahhabi Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Arab
Emirates
Excerpted from Orthodox Islamic Perceptions of Jihad. Address to the International
Conference on Countering Suicide Terrorism, Institute for Counter-Terrorism, Interdisciplinary
Center, by Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi. Herzlyia, Israel, February 20-23, 2000
amislam.com/bush.htm
The main instrument for the 'Wahhabisation' of Arab society was an organization called Ikhwan
alMuslimun (Wahhabi 'Muslim' Brotherhood). The Brotherhood's founder was Hasan al-Bannah, an
elementary school teacher from Ismailiyyah who became one of the leaders of pro-British Masonry
(United Lodge of England, 'Mother of the World') in Egypt.
The Palestinian Hamas is one of the most important Ikhwan (Wahhabi 'Muslim' Brotherhood')
controlled organizations in the Middle East. Hamas leaders are not among the original families of
founders. On a worldwide level the Ikhwan (Wahhabi 'Muslim' Brotherhood) leadership is, as before,
in the hands of Syrian and Egyptian elements.
Countries such as Sudan, Iran and Afghanistan are easily identified as radical, totalitarian and enemies
of the Western world, but their contribution to the international network of pseudo-Islamic
fundamentalism (Wahhabism) is insignificant. On the contrary, the powerful structure of the
Wahhabi Muslim Brotherhood is mainly supported by those countries which are regarded as 'moderate'
or 'friends of the West': Wahhabi Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Arab Emirates.
98
It is possible to destroy Wahhabi al-Qa'ida, to capture or execute Bin

Laden, al-Zarqawi, al-Zawahiri, etc., but this will not end the War.
After some years, Saudi princes will again start funding many similar
Wahhabi terror organizations. The Wahhabi Saudi regime can only
survive by increasing its support for terror
Excerpt from Sheikh Palazzi Remarks in September12, 2005 FrontPage.com Interview
http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=7298
To really Win the 'War on Terror'it is necessary to replace the Wahhabi Saudi terror-funding regime
with a moderate, non-Wahhabi and pro-Western regime, such as a Hashemite Sunni Muslim
constitutional monarchy To really win the 'War on Terror' it is necessary for the U.S. to invade Saudi
Arabia, capture King Abdullah and the other 1,500 princes who constitute the 'House of Sa'ud', to
freeze their assets, to remove them from power, and to send them to Guantanamo for life
imprisonment. Then it is necessary to replace the Wahhabi Saudi terror-funding regime with a
moderate, non-Wahhabi and pro-Western regime, such as a Hashemite Sunni Muslim constitutional
monarchy. Unless all this is done, the 'War on Terror' will never be won. It is possible to destroy
Wahhabi al-Qa'ida, to capture or execute Bin Laden, al-Zarqawi, al-Zawahiri, etc., but this will not
end the 'War'. After some years, Saudi princes will again start funding many similar Wahhabi terror
organizations. The Wahhabi Saudi regime can only survive by increasing its support for terror.
99
100
Section Three
The Sacred Verses:
Selections from the Qur'an and the Tanach
101
Introduction to Section Three

To prepare the Sacred Verses section of Cracking the Qur'an Code, Sheikh Palazzi recommended
using the English translation of and commentary on the Qur'an by Professor Abdullah Yusuf Ali, which
I did.
Finding a modern edition of the Ali English translation and commentary that was true to the original
1938 Third Edition, published in Lahore (today part of Pakistan, then part of British controlled India)
took some doing, but we did it.
It is published by Tahrike Tarsile Qur'an, Inc. koranusa.org, located in Elmhurst, a neighborhood in
Queens, New York. I drove to Elmhurst in November, 2008, while on a visit to New York, and bought
a copy directly from the publisher.
As one can see from a simple search of the Internet, the English translation of and commentary on the
Qur'an by Professor Ali is respected throughout the entire educated, literate Muslim world. Which is
why Sheikh Palazzi wanted that we use it for this book. Also, he told me that Professor Ali's English
translation and commentary was the most faithful to the traditional Muslim commentators.
Jerusalem, Israel
March 16, 2010 C.E.
102
Selections from the Qur'an, Sacred Book of Islam and from the
Tanach, Sacred Book of Judaism
The Qur'an, Sacred Book of Islam
Quotations from the Qur'an and selections from Professor Abdullah Yusuf Ali's commentary on the
Qur'an, and their page numbers, are from The Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary by Professor
Abdullah Yusuf Ali (Elmhurst: Tahrike Tarsile Qur'an, Inc., U.S. Edition, 2005; Exact reproduction of
original 1938 Third Edition. Lahore: Sh. Muhammad Ashraf Publishers).
Qur'anusa.org
The Tanach, Sacred Book of Judaism
Quotations from the Tanach are from The Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text: A New
Translation with the Aid of Previous Versions and with Constant Consultation of Jewish Authorities
(Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1917).
mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0.htm
Notations to Text
[Notes in brackets] and underlined text have been added by Lowell Gallin, author of Cracking the
Qur'an Code.
103
104
Section Three
Chapter One
God's Land Covenant with the Children of Israel
105
Index of Verses
Section Three, Chapter One, The Land Covenant
3.1.1 Sura Ibrahim (Abraham), 14:39-41, page 109
3.1.2 Sura Maryam (Mary), 19:48-50, page 110
3.1.3 Sura Anbiya'a (The Prophets), 21:71, page 112
3.1.4 Sua Ankabut (The Spider), 29:26-27, page 113
3.1.5 Sura Saba (City of Saba), 34:18, page 115
3.1.6 Sura Saffat (Those Ranged in Ranks), 37:98-102, page 116
3.1.7 Sura Hud (Hud), 11:69, page 118
3.1.8 Sura Yusuf (Joseph), 12:4, page 119
3.1.11 Sura Yusuf (Joseph), Ali Introduction, page 122
3.1.12 Sura Yusuf (Joseph), Ali Appendix Four, page 123
3.1.13 Sura Yusuf (Joseph), Ali Appendix Five, page 125
3.1.14 Sura Al Baqarah (The Heifer), 2:60, page 126
3.1.16 Sura A'raf (The Heights), 7:128-129, page 130
3.1.17 Sura Ta Ha (Mystic Letters), 20:41-48, page 131
3.1.18 Sura Shu'araa (The Poets), 26:10-17, page 134
3.1.19 Sura Dukhan (Smoke or Mist), 44:17-24, page 136
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3.1.22 Sura A'raf (The Heights), 7:134-136, 138, page 142
3.1.23 Sura Qasas (The Narration), 28:40-42, page 144
3.1.24 Sura Zukhruf (Gold Adonrments), 43:51-56, page 145
3.1.25 Sura Zariyat (Winds that Scatter), 51:38-40, page 147
3.1.26 Sura Yunus (Jonah), 10:90-92, page 148
3.1.27 Sura Nahl (The Bee), 16:45, page 150
3.1.28 Sura Ta Ha (Mystic Letters, T.H.), 20:77-79, page 151
3.1.29 Sura Shu'raa (The Poets), 26:53-69, page 153
3.1.31 Sura Bani Isra-il (The Children of Israel), 17:101-104, page 157
3.1.32 Sura Ta Ha (Mystic Letters, T.H.), 20:86, page 159
3.1.34 Sura Maide (The Table), 5:20-26, page 162
3.1.36 Sura Yunus (Jonah), 10:93, page 167
3.1.37 Sura Sajda (Adoration), 32:23-26, page 168
3.1.38 Sura Al Baqarah (The Heifer), 2:246-251, page 169
3.1.39 Sura Hajj (Pilgrimage), 22:39-41, page 175, page 175
107

3.1.44 Sura Sad (being one of the Abbreviated Letters), 38:26, page 182
3.1.45 Sura Bani Isra'il (The Children of Israel), 17:55, page 183
3.1.46 Sura Nisaa (The Women), 4:163, page 184
3.1.47 Sura An'am (Cattle), 6:84-87, page 185
3.1.48 Sura Naml (The Ants), 27:15-16, 19-20, 34, page 187
3.1.49 Sura Sad (being one of the Abbreviated Letters), 38, page 190
3.1.50 Sura Sad (being one of the Abbreviated Letters), 38:17-20, page 191
3.1.51 Sura Sad (being one of the Abbreviated Letters), 38:30, page 193
3.1.52 Sura A'raf (The Heights), 7:137, page 194
3.1.53 Sura Anbiyaa (The Prophets), 21:105, page 196
3.1.56 Sura Dukhan (Smoke or Mist), 44:30-33, page 199
3.1.57 Sura Jathiya (Bowing the Knee), 45:16, page 201
3.1.61 Sura Bani Isra-il (The Children of Israel), 17:104, page 210
3.1.62 Sura Kahf (The Cave), 18:94, 98-101, page 211
3.1.64 Sura Anbiyaa (The Prophets), 21:96-97, page 215
108
3.1.1 God's Land Covenant with the Children of Israel

Abraham and Sara leave the Land of Ur for the Land of Israel
Qur'an, Sura Ibrahim (Abraham), 14:39-41
Text: 'Praise be to God, Who hath granted unto me in old age Isma'il and Isaac'
Ali Commentary: Abrahamrenounced the land of his fathers (Chaldea)
(Ali translation, pages 631-632)
'Praise be to God, Who hath granted unto me in old age Isma'il and Isaac'
(14:39) 'Praise be to God, Who hath granted unto me in old age Isma'il and Isaac [BOTH BORN IN THE LAND OF
ISRAEL]: For truly my Lord is He, the Hearer of Prayer.
(14:40) O my Lord! Make me one who establishes regular prayer, and also (raise such) among my
offspring, O our Lord! And accept thou my prayer'.
(14:41) 'O our Lord! Cover (us) with Thy Forgiveness me, my parents
Day that the Reckoning will be established'.
(1921)
, and (all) Believers, on the
Abdullah Yusuf Ali Commentary:

Abrahamrenounced the land of his fathers (Chaldea)
(Note 1921, verse 14:41 Ali commentary, page 632) 'My parents'. Abraham's father was an idolater
(Sura 43:26, Sura 6:74). Not only that, but he [ABRAHAM'S FATHER] persecuted the Faith of Unity and
threatened Abraham with stoning and exile (Sura 19:46); and he and his people cast him [ABRAHAM]
into the Fire to be burned (Sura 21:52, 68). Yet Abraham's heart was tender, and he prayed for
forgiveness for his father because of a promise which he had made (Sura 9:114), though he
renounced the land of his fathers (Chaldea) [FOR THE LAND OF ISRAEL].
109

Qur'an, Sura Maryam (Mary), 19:48-50
Text: 'And I will turn away from you (all)'
Ali Commentary: Abraham left his father and the home of his fathers (Ur of the
Chaldees) and never returned
'And I will turn away from you (all)'
(19:48) And I [ABRAHAM] will turn away from you (all) [ABRAHAM'S FATHER AND THE PEOPLE OF UR] and from
those whom ye invoke besides God: I will call on my Lord [GOD]: Perhaps, by my prayer to my Lord, I shall
be not unblest (2500).
We bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob, and each of them We made a prophet
(19:49) When he [ABRAHAM] had turned away from them [ABRAHAM'S FATHER AND THE PEOPLE OF UR] and from
those whom they worshipped besides God, We [GOD] bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob, and each one of
them We made a prophet (2501).
We bestowed of Our Mercy on them

(19:50) And We bestowed of Our Mercy on them and We granted them lofty honour on the tongue
truth.
(2502)
of

Abraham left his father and the home of his fathers (Ur of the Chaldees) and never returned
(Note 2500, verse 19:48 Ali commentary, page 777) Abraham left his father and the home of his
fathers (Ur of the Chaldees) and never returned. He left because he was turned out, and because it
was not possible for him to make any compromise with what was false in religion. In return for abuse,
he spoke gentle words. And he expressed his fervent hope that at least he (Abraham) would have
God's blessing in reply to his prayers. Here was a prefigurement of another Hijrat (pilgrimage) many
centuries later! In both cases the prayer was abundantly fulfilled.
110
Isaac and Isaac's son Jacob are mentioned here as carrying on one line of Abraham's
traditions
(Note 2501, verse 19:49 Ali commentary, page 777) Isaac and Isaac's son Jacob are mentioned
here as carrying on one line of Abraham's traditions. The other line was carried on by Isma'il, who is
mentioned independently five verses lower down, as his line got special honour in the Holy Prophet of
Islam. That is why his mention comes after that of Moses. Compare Sura 21:72.
Abraham and his son and grandson Isaac and Jacob, and their line, maintained the banner
of Spiritual truth for many generations, and they won deservedly high praise the praise of
truth on the tongues of men
(Note 2502, verse 19:50 Ali commentary, page 778) Abraham and his son and grandson Isaac and
Jacob, and their line [CHILDREN OF JACOB (ISRAEL)], maintained the banner of Spiritual truth for many
generations, and they won deservedly high praise the praise of truth on the tongues of men.
Abraham prayed that he should be praised by the tongue of truth among men to come in later ages:
Sura 26:84. Ordinary praise may mean nothing: It may be due to selfish flattery on the part of others or
artful management by the person praised. Praise on the tongue of sincere truth is praise indeed!
111

Qur'an, Sura Anbiya'a (The Prophets), 21:71
Text: the land which We have blessed for the nations
Ali Commentary: The land of Aram or Syriain its widest connotation includes
Canaan or Palestine
(Ali translation, page 837)
the land which We have blessed for the nations
(21:71) But We [GOD] delivered him [ABRAHAM] and (his nephew) Lut (and directed them) to the land
which We [GOD] have blessed for the nations.
(2727)

Hecame to the fertile lands of Aram, to Syria, and so south to Canaan
(Note 2725, verse 21:69 Ali commentary, page 837) He [ABRAHAM] now left his ancestral lands, and
avoiding the Syrian desert, came to the fertile lands of Aram, to Syria, and so south to Canaan.
The land of Aram or Syria, which in its widest connotation includes Canaan or Palestine
(Note 2727, verse 21:71 Ali commentary, page 837) The land of Aram or Syria, which in its widest
connotation includes Canaan or Palestine. Syria is a well-watered fertile land, with a Mediterranean
sea-coast, on which the famous commercial cities of Tyre and Sidon were situated. Its population is
very mixed, as it has been a bone of contention between all the great kingdoms and empires of
Western Asia and Egypt, and European interest in it dates from the most ancient times and continues
under the French Mandate to the present day.
112

Together with Abraham and Sara, Lot leaves the Land of Ur for the Land of Israel
Qur'an, Sura Ankabut (The Spider), 29:26-27
Text: Lutsaid: 'I will leave home for the sake of my Lord
Ali Commentary: Lot was a nephew of Abraham. He adhered to Abraham's
teaching and faith and accepted voluntary exile with him, for Abraham left the
home of his fathers in Chaldaea and migrated to Syria and Palestine
Lutsaid: 'I will leave home for the sake of my Lord: For He is Exalted in Might, and Wise
(29:26) But Lut [LOT] had Faith in Him [GOD] (3446). He said: 'I will leave home for the sake of my Lord: For
He is Exalted in Might, and Wise.
And We gave (Abraham) Isaac and Jacob, and ordained among his progeny Prophethood and
Revelation
(29:27) And We gave (Abraham) Isaac and Jacob, and ordained among his progeny Prophethood (3447) and
Revelation, and We granted him his reward in this life; and he was in the Hereafter (of the company) of the
Righteous (3448)

Lot was a nephew of Abraham. He adhered to Abraham's teaching and faith and accepted
voluntary exile with him, for Abraham left the home of his fathers in Chaldaea and migrated to
Syria and Palestine, where God gave him increase and prosperity, and a numerous family
(Note 3446, verse 29:26 Ali commentary, page 1035) Lot was a nephew of Abraham. He adhered
to Abraham's teaching and faith and accepted voluntary exile with him, for Abraham left the home of
his fathers in Chaldaea and migrated to Syria and Palestine, where God gave him increase and
prosperity, and a numerous family, who upheld the flag of Unity and the Light of God.
Isaac was Abraham's son and Jacob his grandsonJacob got the name 'Israel' at Bethel:
Genesis 32:28, 35:10, and his progeny got the title of 'The Children of Israel'
(Note 3447, verse 29:27 Ali commentary, page 1035) Isaac was Abraham's son and Jacob his
grandson, and among his progeny was included Isma'il the eldest son of Abraham. Each of these
became a fountain-head of Prophecy and Revelation, Isaac and Jacob through Moses, and Isma'il
113
through the holy Apostle, Muhammad. Jacob got the name of 'Israel' at Bethel: Genesis 32:28, 35:10,
and his progeny got the title of 'The Children of Israel'.
(Note 3448, verse 29:27 Ali commentary, page 1035) Compare Sura 29:9 and Sura 4:69, note 586.
114

Abraham and Sara settle into life in the Land of Israel
Qur'an, Sura Saba (City of Saba), 34:18
Text: Cities on which We had poured Our blessings
Ali Commentary: Syria was the land on which God 'had poured out His
blessings'where Abraham had lived: It includes the Holy Land of Palestine
Between them and Cities on which We had poured Our blessings, We had placed cities in
prominent positions
(34:18) Between them and Cities 3816 on which We [GOD] had poured Our blessings, We had placed cities in
prominent positions, and between them We had appointed stages of journey in due proportion: 'Travel
therein, secure, by night and day'.

Syria was the land on which God 'had poured out His blessings', being a rich, fertile country,
where Abraham had lived: It includes the Holy Land of Palestine
(Note 3816, verse 34:18 Ali commentary, page 1139) An instance is now given of the sort of
covetousness on the part of the people of Saba, which ruined their prosperity and trade and cut their
own throats. The old Frankincense route was the great Highway (imam mubin, Sura 15:79, sabil
muqim, Sura 15:76) between Arabia and Syria. Through Syria it connected with the great and
flourishing Kingdoms of the Euphrates and Tigris valleys on the one hand and Egypt on the other, and
with the great Roman Empire round the Mediterranean. At the other end, through the Yemen Coast,
the road connected, by sea transport, with India, Malaya, and China. The Yemen-Syria road was
much frequented, and Madain Salih was one of the stations on that route, and afterwords on the
Pilgrim route: See Appendix Number 9 to Sura 26, page 976. Syria was the land on which God 'had
poured out His blessings', being a rich, fertile country, where Abraham had lived: It includes the Holy
Land of Palestine. The route was studded in the days of its prosperity with many stations (cities) close
to each other, on which merchants could travel with ease and safety, 'by night and by day'. The close
proximity of stations prevented the inroads of highwaymen.
115

Qur'an, Sura Saffat (Those Ranged in Ranks), 37:98-102
Text: 'I will go to my Lord'
Ali Commentary: Abraham migrated from the countryand prospered in Syria
and Palestine
'I will go to my Lord'
(37:98) (This failing), they then sought a stratagem against him
most humiliated!
(4094)
, but We [GOD] made them the ones
(37:99) He said: 'I will go to my Lord! He will surely guide me (4095).

(37:100) O my Lord grant me a righteous (son)!
(37:101) So We gave him the good news (4096) of a boy ready to suffer and forbear.
(37:102) Then, when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him, he said: 'O my son! I see in a
vision that I offer thee in sacrifice (4099). Now see what is thy view!' (The son) said: 'O my father! Do as thou
art commanded: Thou will find me, if God So wills, one practicing Patience and Constancy'.

Abraham migrated from the country (Chaldea, Babylon, and Assyria) and prospered in Syria
and Palestine
(Note 4094, verse 37:98 Ali commentary, page 1203) Compare Sura 21:71. Their plot against the
righteous Abraham failed. Abraham migrated from the country (Chaldea, Babylon, and Assyria) and
prospered in Syria and Palestine. It was his persecutors that suffered humiliation.
Abrahamleft his people and his land, because the Truth was dearer to him than the
ancestral falsehoods of his people
(Note 4095, verse 37:99 Ali commentary, page 1204) This was the Hijrat [PILGRIMAGE FROM THE LAND OF
UR TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL] of Abraham. He left his people and his land [TO GO TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL],
because the Truth was dearer to him than the ancestral falsehoods of his people. He trusted himself to
God, and under God's guidance he laid the foundations of great peoples. See note 2725 to Sura
21:69.
116
This was in the fertile land of Syria and Palestine

(Note 4096, verse 37:101 Ali commentary, page This was in the fertile land of Syria and
Palestine
It wasafter his arrival in the land of Canaan

(Note 4099, verse 37:102 Ali commentary, page At what stage in Abraham's history did this occur?
See note 2725 to Sura 21:69. It was obviously after his arrival in the land of Canaan.
117

Qur'an, Sura Hud (Hud), 11:69
Text: There came Our Messengers to Abraham with glad tidings
Ali Commentary: Abraham...had now taken up his residence in Canaan
There came Our Messengers to Abraham with glad tidings
(11:69) There came Our Messengers to Abraham with glad tidings [THAT SARA WOULD GIVE BIRTH TO A SON,
ISAAC]. They said, 'Peace!' He answered, 'Peace!' and hastened to entertain them with a roasted calf (1565).

Abraham.had now taken up his residence in Canaan.he was now ready to receive the
Message that he was chosen to be the progenitor of a great line of Prophets
(Note 1565 Ali commentary, page 533) Abraham had by this time passed through the fire of
persecutions in the Mesopotamian valleys; he had left behind him the ancestral idolatry of Ur of the
Chaldees; he had been tried and he had triumphed over the persecution of Nimrud; he had now taken
up his residence in Canaan, from which his nephew Lot (Lut) was called to preach to the wicked Cities
of the Plain east of the Dead Sea which is itself called Bahr Lut. Thus prepared and sanctified, he was
now ready to receive the Message that he was chosen to be the progenitor of a great line of Prophets
[ISAAC, JACOB (ISRAEL) AND THE PROPHETS FROM AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL].
118

Abraham and Sara's grandson Jacob (Israel), and Jacob's family, settle into life in
the Land of Israel
Qur'an, Sura Yusuf (Joseph), 12:4
Text: Joseph said to his father: 'O my father, I did see eleven stars and the sun
and the moon'
Ali Commentary: The place where Jacob and his family and his flocks were
located was in Canaan
Joseph said to his father: 'O my father, I did see eleven stars and the sun and the moon'
(12:4) Behold, Joseph said to his father: 'O my father
moon: I saw them prostrate themselves to me!
, I did see eleven stars and the sun and the
(1632)

The place where Jacob and his family and his flocks were located was in Canaan, and is
shown by tradition near modern Nablus (ancient Shechem), some thirty miles north of
Jerusalem
(Note 1632, verse 12:4 Ali commentary, page 550) For the parable all that is necessary to know
about Joseph is that he was one of the Chosen Ones of God. For the story it is necessary to set down
a few more details. His father was Jacob, also called Israel the son of Isaac, the younger son of
Abraham, (the elder son having been Isma'il), whose story is told in Sura 2:124-129. Abraham may be
called the Father of the line of Semitic prophecy. Jacob had four wives. From three of them he had ten
sons. In his old age he had from Rachel (Arabic Rahil), a very beautiful woman, two sons Joseph and
Benjamin (the youngest). At the time this story begins we may suppose that Joseph was about
seventeen years of age. The place where Jacob and his family and his flocks were located was in
Canaan, and is shown by tradition near modern Nablus (ancient Shechem), some thirty miles north of
Jerusalem. The traditional site of the well into which Joseph was thrown by his brothers is still shown
in the neighborhood.
119

the Land of Israel
Text: Thus did We establish Joseph in the land
Ali Commentary: brethren in the land of Canaan
Thus did We establish Joseph in the land
(1659)
(12:21) The man in Egypt

who bought him, said to his wife: 'Make his stay (among us) honourable:
Maybe he will bring us much good, or we shall adopt him as a son'. Thus did We [GOD] establish Joseph in
the land [EGYPT], that we might teach him the interpretation of stories (and events). And God hath full power
and control over His affairs; but most among mankind know it not.

jealous brethren in the land of Canaan
(Note 1659, verse 12:21 Ali commentary, page 556) Joseph is now clear of his jealous brethren in
the land of Canaan.
120

the Land of Israel
Text: the home of the Hereafter is best
Ali Commentary: Joseph's earthly home was in Canaan
the home of the Hereafter is best, for those who do right
(12:109) Nor did We [GOD] send before thee [MUHAMMAD] (as Apostles) any but men [SUCH AS JOSEPH], whom
We did inspire, (men) living in human habitations. Do they not travel through the earth, and see what was
the end of those before them? But the home of the Hereafter (1794) is best, for those who do right . Will ye not
then understand?

Joseph's earthly home was in Canaan, but he attained his glory elsewhere
(Note 1794, verse 12:109 Ali commentary, page 590) The righteous, the men of God, had, as in
Joseph's history, some evidence of God's providence in this very world with all its imperfections as
reflecting our imperfections. But this world is of no real consequence to them. Their home is in the
Hereafter. Joseph's earthly home was in Canaan; but he attained his glory elsewhere [EGYPT]; and his
spiritual Home is in the great Society of the Righteous (Sura 3:39).
121

Abraham and Sara's grandson Jacob (Israel), and Jacob's family, leave the Land of
Israel for Egypt
Introduction to Sura Yusuf (Joseph), 12
Ali Commentary: Josephsends them to bring Jacob and the whole family from
Canaan to EgyptIsrael (Jacob) comes, is comforted, and settles in Egypt
(Ali commentary, page 549)
Josephsends them to bring Jacob and the whole family from Canaan to EgyptIsrael
(Jacob) comes, is comforted, and settles in Egypt. The name of God is glorified
(Introduction to Sura 12 Ali commentary, page 549) In subject matter this Sura is entirely taken up
with the story (recapitulated rather than told) of Joseph, the youngest (but one) of the twelve sons of
the patriarch Jacob.
His half-brothers (driven by famine) came to Egypt and were seated kindly by Joseph without their
knowing his identity. He asks them to bring his full brother, the youngest son, Benjamin (Sura 11:4368, and Commentary 111).
Joseph detains Benjamin and by a stratagem convicts his half-brothers of their hatred and crime
against himself, forgives them, and sends them to bring Jacob and the whole family from Canaan to
Egypt (Sura 12:69-93, and Commentary 112).
Israel (Jacob) comes, is comforted, and settles in Egypt. The name of God is glorified. The truth of
God endures for ever, and God's purpose is fully revealed in the Hereafter (Sura 12:94-111, and
Commentary 113).
122

Mission of Moses, Man of God
Appendix Four (Joseph), 12
Ali Commentary: Moses cameto rescue his own people from the bondage of
Egypt, a task which he performedhis mission was also addressed to the king of
Egypt and to the people of Egypt in God's Plan the enemies of God and the
enemies of Israel (Sura 20:39) were the very ones who were used as instruments
for the purposes of God and the salvation of Israel
(Ali commentary, pages 406-407)
the land of Goshen in which Israel dwelt and multiplied between the time of Joseph and
the time of the Exodus, was a frontier tract of Egypt in the neighborhood of the Hyksos city of
Zoan in the Delta
(Appendix Four Ali commentary, pages 406-407) The Pharaoh who 'knew not Joseph' looked upon
the Israelites as contemptible slaves, not worthy of a thought except when they revolted, and then only
as a despised race, fit to be punished and kept in its place. It may be noticed, however, that the land
of Goshen in which Israel dwelt and multiplied between the time of Joseph and the time of the Exodus,
was a frontier tract of Egypt in the neighborhood of the Hyksos city of Zoan in the Delta.
It was formerly the received opinion that Rameses 2 (say about 1250 B.C.) was the Pharaoh
who oppressed Israel in Egypt, and that the exodus may have taken place under his
immediate successor Minepthah (say about 1225 B.C.)But this date is almost certainly too
late. There are indications pointing to the Israelites having already settled in Canaan by this
time
In seeking the approximate date of Moses, we must again look to the probabilities of Egyptian history.
It was formerly the received opinion that Rameses 2 (say about 1250 B.C.) was the Pharaoh who
oppressed Israel in Egypt, and that the exodus may have taken place under his immediate successor
Minepthah (say about 1225 B.C.). The vigorous policy of Rameses 2 and the spirit of his time would
be consistent with this view. But this date is almost certainly too late. There are indications pointing to
the Israelites having already settled in Canaan by this time.
123
Thothmes 1 (Tethmosis 1, about 1540 B.C.) is more likely, in the first flush of his nationalist
campaign, to have oppressed the Israelites and led to the exodusWe can imagine him in
his splendid Court, scarcely paying attention to Moses, and viewing all his complaints with
amusement mingled with contempt and impatience. But retribution was to come in God's
good time
The Hyksos were turned out by the 18 th Dynasty, which established the New Empire in the 16 th century
B.C. Thothmes 1 (Tethmosis 1, about 1540 B.C.) is more likely, in the first flush of his nationalist
campaign, to have oppressed the Israelites and led to the Exodus. His date fits better. And his
character also accords with the description in sacred history. He centralized the monarchy and made it
a military autocracy. Militarism went with the lust of war and foreign conquest. He carried his arms as
far as the Euphrates. Slaves, plunder, and foreign tribute made Egypt opulent and arrogant, and he
added many monuments to Thebes. We can imagine him in his splendid Court, scarcely paying
attention to Moses, and viewing all his complaints with amusement mingled with contempt and
impatience. But retribution was to come in God's good time.
in God's Plan the enemies of God and the enemies of Israel (Sura 20:39) were the very ones
who were used as instruments for the purposes of God and the salvation of Israel
It was the same Pharaoh, Thothmes I, who took for his partner on the Throne his daughter
Hatshepshut. If Thothmes was the Pharaoh in Moses' story, we may suppose that it was this same
celebrated strong minded lady, Pharaoh's daughter, who found the child Moses (Exodus 2:10), and
brought him to her mother to be adopted into the family (Sura 28:9). Like her father, she was a great
supporter of the national cults. Moses was nurtured in the palace, and learned all the wisdom of the
Egyptians, then reputed to be the wisest of the nations. With their own wisdom he foiled them. Thus, in
God's Plan the enemies of God and the enemies of Israel (Sura 20:39) were the very ones who were
used as instruments for the purposes of God and the salvation of Israel.
124

Appendix Five (Joseph), 12
Ali Commentary: Moses cameto rescue his own people from the bondage of
Egypt, a task which he performedhis mission was also addressed to the king of
Egypt and to the people of Egypt
(Ali commentary, pages 409-410)
the people remained ignorant. They were exploited and practically enslaved
(Appendix Five Ali commentary, page 409-410) There was a gradual perception of Monotheism, a
realization that God is One and above names. But the picturesque forms, festivals, and
representations remained, and as the priests of all grades enjoyed special privileges and monopolized
knowledge and learning, the people remained ignorant. They were exploited and practically enslaved.
It was in the midst of such conditions that Moses came. He came to rescue his own people
from the bondage of Egypt, a task which he performed. But it must not be forgotten that his
mission was also addressed to the king of Egypt and to the people of Egypt
It was in the midst of such conditions that Moses came. He came to rescue his own people from the
bondage of Egypt, a task which he performed. But it must not be forgotten that his mission was also
addressed to the king of Egypt and to the people of Egypt. Here also he sowed the seed, although he
did not reap the fruit. The king, the Pharaoh, was almost looked upon as a god, and looked upon
himself as a god. He had to be humbled, and he was humbled. But God's purpose is not merely to
humble. It is also to lead from darkness to light.
If the particular Pharaoh was too hardhearted to respond, his descendant in the fifth or sixth
generation made a public confession of the One True God.
What of the people? The wise men of Egypt, who were confronted with Moses, repented of their
deceit, and saw the light by the grace of God, according to the qur'anic narrative. Though they were
threatened and perhaps martyred, their fate must have opened the eyes of the people and prepared
them for the remarkable religious revolution which we shall now proceed to describe.
125

Qur'an, Sura Al Baqarah (The Heifer), 2:60
Text: Moses prayed for water for his people
Ali Commentary: Here we have a reference to the tribal organization of the
Jewsand their subsequent settlement in the land of Canaan (Joshua 22 and 14)
.Levi's familywere exempted fromthe distribution of land in Canaan.there
were twelve tribes in allhaving fixed stations and watering places in camp and
fixed territorial areas later in the Promised Land
Each group knew its own place
(2:60) And remember Moses prayed for water for his people [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL]; We [GOD] said: 'Strike the
Rock with thy staff'. Then gushed forth therefrom twelve springs. Each group [OF THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL]
(73)
knew its own place for water. So eat and drink of the sustenance provided by God, and do no evil nor
mischief on the (face of the) earth.

Here we have a reference to the tribal organization of the Jewsand their subsequent
settlement in the land of Canaan (Joshua 22 and 14)
(Note 73, verse 2:60 Ali commentary, page 32) Here we have a reference to the tribal organization
of the Jews, which played a great part in their forty year's march through the Arabian deserts
(Numbers 1 and 2) and their subsequent settlement in the land of Canaan (Joshua 22 and 14). The
twelve tribes were derived from the sons of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel (soldier of
God) after he had wrestled, says Jewish tradition, with God (Genesis 32:28). Israel had twelve sons
(Genesis 35:13-26), including Levi and Joseph. The descendants of these twelve sons were the
'Children of Israel'.
Levi's familywere exempted fromthe distribution of land in Canaan (Joshua 14:3)

Levi's family got the priesthood and the care of the Tabernacle; they were exempted from military
duties for which the census was taken (Numbers 1:47-53), and therefore from the distribution of land
in Canaan (Joshua 14:3); they were distributed among all the tribes, and were really a privileged caste
and not numbered among the Tribes; Moses and Aaron belonged to the House of Levi.
126
there were twelve tribes in allhaving fixed stations and watering places in camp and fixed
territorial areas later in the Promised Land
On the other hand, Joseph, on account of the high position to which he rose in Egypt as the Pharaoh's
minister, was the progenitor of two tribes, one in the name of each of his two sons Ephraim and
Manasseh. Thus there were twelve tribes in all, as Levi was cut out and Joseph represented two
tribes. Their having fixed stations and watering places in camp and fixed territorial areas later in the
Promised Land prevented confusion and mutual jealousies and is pointed to as an evidence of the
Providence of God acting through His prophet Moses. Compare also Sura 7:160.
127

Text: The Signs of God
Ali Commentary: Moses' reproach to them was.In front is the rich Promised
Land, which you are reluctant to march to: Behind is Egypt, the land of bondage.
Which is better?They were restored under the Persians
The Signs of God
(2:61) And remember ye said: 'O Moses! We cannot endure one kind of food (always); so beseech thy Lord
for us to produce for us of what the earth groweth, its pot-herbs, and cucumbers, its garlic, lentils, and
onions'. He said: 'Will ye exchange the better for the worse? Go ye down to any town (74) and ye shall find
what ye want!' They were covered with humiliation (75) and misery; they drew on themselves the wrath of
God. This because they went on rejecting the Signs of God and slaying His Apostles without just cause. This
because they rebelled and went on transgressing

There is herea severe reproach.Moses' reproach to them was.In front is the rich
Promised Land, which you are reluctant to march to: Behind is Egypt, the land of bondage.
Which is better? Would you exchange the better for the worse?
(Note 74, verse 2:61 Ali commentary, page 32) The declension of the word Misr in the Arabic text
here shows that it is treated as a common noun meaning any town, but this is not conclusive, and the
references may be to the Egypt of Pharaoh. The Tanwin expressing indefiniteness may mean 'any
Egypt', i.e., any country as fertile as Egypt. There is here a subtle reminiscence as well as a severe
reproach. The rebellious Children of Israel murmured at the sameness of the food they got in the
desert. They were evidently hankering after the delicacies of the Egypt which they had left, although
they should have known that the only thing certain for them in Egypt was their bondage and harsh
treatment. Moses' reproach to them was twofold: (1) Such variety of foods you can get in any town:
Would you, for their sake, sell your freedom? Is not freedom better than delicate food? (2) In front is
the rich Promised Land, which you are reluctant to march to: Behind is Egypt, the land of bondage.
Which is better? Would you exchange the better for the worse?
128
They got the Promised Land. But they continued to rebel against God.They were restored
under the Persians.They were scattered all over the earth and have been a wandering
people ever since1
(Note 75, verse 2:61 Ali commentary, page 33) From here the argument becomes more general.
They [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] got the Promised Land [LAND OF ISRAEL]. But they continued to rebel against
God. And their humiliation and misery became a national disaster. They were carried into captivity to
Assyria. They were restored under the Persians, but still remained under the Persian yoke, and they
were under the yoke of the Greeks, the Romans and Arabs. They were scattered all over the earth,
and have been a wandering people ever since, because they rejected faith, slew God's messengers
and went on transgressing.
But the moral goes wider than the Children of Israel. It applies to all nations and individuals
.But the moral goes wider than the Children of Israel. It applies to all nations and all individuals. If
they are stiff-necked, if they set a greater value on perishable goods than on freedom and eternal
salvation, if they break the Law of God and resist His grace, their portion must be humiliation and
misery in the spiritual world and probably even on this earth if a long view is taken.
a wandering people ever since'. Professor Ali wrote these words in 1938, one year before the outbreak of World War Two
on September 1, 1939 and the ensuing Nazi German Jewish Holocaust of 1939-1945; ten years before the reestablishment of
a Jewish State in the Land of Israel on May 14, 1948; and twenty nine years before the liberation of Jerusalem, Judea,
Samaria, Gaza, Sinai and the Golan Heights by the armies of the State of Israel during the Six Day War of June 5-10, 1967.
129

Moses tells the Children of Israel to pray for help from God
Qur'an, Sura A'raf (The Heights), 7:128-129
Text: It may be that your Lord will destroy your enemy and make you inheritors
in the earth
Ali Commentary: The Israelites, despised and enslaved, were to be rescued and
made rulers in Palestine. David and Solomon were great kings and played a
notable part in history
'It may be that your Lord will destroy your enemy and make you inheritors in the earth'
(7:128) Said Moses to his people [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL]: 'Pray for help from God, and (wait) in patience and
constancy: For the earth is God's to give as a heritage to such of His servants as He pleaseth; and the end is
(best) for the righteous.
(7:129) They [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] said: 'We have had (nothing but) trouble, both before and after thou
[MOSES] camest to us'. He said: 'It may be that your Lord [GOD] will destroy your enemy [EGYPTIANS] and
make you inheritors (1087) in the earth [SOVEREIGN IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL]; that so He may try you by your deeds.

The Israelites, despised and enslaved, were to be rescued and made rulers in Palestine.
David and Solomon were great kings and played a notable part in history
(Note 1087, verse 7:129 Ali commentary, page 377) The Israelites, despised and enslaved, were to
be rescued and made rulers in Palestine. David and Solomon were great kings and played a notable
part in history. But the greatness of Israel was conditional; they were to be judged by their deeds.
When they fell from grace, other people were given honor and power. And so it came to be the turn of
the Arab race, and so on. God gives His gifts to those who are righteous and obey the Law.
130

Moses and Aaron tell Pharaoh to let the Children of Israel depart from Egypt for
the Land of Israel
Qur'an, Sura Ta Ha (Mystic Letters, T.H.), 20:41-48
Text: Go, both of you, to Pharaohand say, 'Verily, we are Apostles sent by thy
Lord: Send forth, therefore, the Children of Israel with us, and afflict them not
Ali Commentary: Their mission was in the first instance to Pharaoh and to the
Egyptians, and then to lead Israel out of Egypt
Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed all boundsand say, 'Verily, we are
Apostles sent by thy Lord: Send forth, therefore, the Children of Israel with us, and afflict them
not
(20:41) And I [GOD] have prepared thee [MOSES] for Myself (for service).
(20:42) Go, thou [MOSES] and thy brother [AARON]
keeping Me in remembrance.
(2565)
, with My Signs, and slacken not, either of you, in
(20:43) Go, both of you, to Pharaoh (2566), for he has indeed transgressed all bounds (2567);
(20:44) But speak to him mildly; perchance he may take Warning or fear (God)
(2568)
(20:45) They (Moses and Aaron) said: 'Our Lord! We fear lest He hasten with insolence
lest he transgress all bounds'.
(2569)
against us, or
(20:46) He [GOD] said: 'Fear not: For I am with you: I hear and see (everything)'.
(20:47) So go ye both to him [PHARAOH], and say, 'Verily, we are Apostles sent by thy [PHARAOH'S] Lord: Send
forth, therefore, the Children of Israel with us, and afflict them not (2570): With a Sign, indeed, have we come
from thy Lord! And Peace to all who follow guidance (2571)'.
(20:48) Verily, it has been revealed to us that the Penalty (awaits) those who reject and turn away.

he was honoured with his mission, and was granted his request that his brother Aaron should
accompany him
(Note 2565 on verse 20:42 Ali commentary, page 797) We may suppose that Moses had fled alone
to the land of Midian, and that he had now come alone (with his family but not with his brother) to
Tuwa, as described in note 2542 above. When he was honoured with his mission, and was granted
his request that his brother Aaron should accompany him, we may suppose that he took steps to get
131
Aaron to come to him, and their meeting was in Tuwa. Some time may be supposed to have elapsed
before they were in Egypt , and then they prayed, and received these directions in their Egyptian
home.
Aaron was either an elder or a younger brother we are not told which. In either case he was born
when the ban on Israelite new-born babes was not in operation. Moses had been out of touch with
him, and it speaks greatly for his family affection that he remembered him and prayed for his
comradeship in the most serious spiritual work of his life.
Their mission was in the first instance to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians, and then to lead
Israel out of Egypt
(Note 2566 on verse 20:43 Ali commentary, page 798) Their mission was in the first instance to
Pharaoh and to the Egyptians, and then to lead Israel out of Egypt.
we come back now to the time when Moses' actual ministry begins
(Note 2567 on verse 20:43 Ali commentary, page 798) Compare the same phrase in Sura 20:24.
Having glanced at the early life of Moses, we come back now to the time when Moses's actual ministry
begins. The early personal story of Moses is rounded off.
Pharaoh in his inordinate vanity had forgotten himself and forgotten how small a creature he
was before God
(Note 2568 on verse 20:44 Ali commentary, page 798) So far Pharaoh in his inordinate vanity had
forgotten himself and forgotten how small a creature he was before God. This was to be brought to his
recollection, so that he might perhaps repent and believe, or at least be deterred by fear from
'transgressing all bounds'. Some men eschew wrong from sincere love of God and understanding of
their fellow-men, and some (of coarser minds) from the fear of consequences. Even the latter conduct
may be a step to the former.
They were now in Egyptthe local atmosphere called for the greatest courage and firmness
on their part to carry out the dangerous mission which had been entrusted to them
(Note 2569 on verse 20:45 Ali commentary, page 798) They were now in Egypt (see note 2565
above) and therefore in the power of the Pharaoh. The local atmosphere called for the greatest
courage and firmness on their part to carry out the dangerous mission which had been entrusted to
them..
132
The Children of Israel were subjected to all sorts of oppression and indignitiesthey
'groaned in bondage' (Exodus 5:6-19, 6:5)
(Note 2570 on verse 20:47 Ali commentary, page 798) The Children of Israel were subjected to all
sorts of oppression and indignities. They were given hard tasks, their leaders were unjustly beaten;
they were forced to make bricks without straw; and they 'groaned in bondage' (Exodus 5:6-19, 6:5)
Godalways offers Peace to the most hardened sinnersButtheir defiance cannot go on

with impunity indefinitely. The punishment must inevitable come for sin
(Note 2571 on verse 20:47 Ali commentary, page 798) God, in His infinite Mercy, always offers
Peace to the most hardened sinners, even those who are warring against Him. But, as stated in the
next verse, their defiance cannot go on with impunity indefinitely. The punishment must inevitably
come for sin, whether the sinner is great or small.
133

Moses and Aaron tell Pharaoh to let the Children of Israel depart from Egypt for
the Land of Israel
Qur'an, Sura Shu'araa (The Poets), 26:10-17
Text: go forth, both of you, to Pharaoh, and say: 'We have been sent by thy Lord
and Cherisher of the Worldssend thou with us the Children of Israel
Ali Commentary: Moses' shortcomings were transformed by God's grace into
power, so that he became the most powerful leader of Israelhe dared the
Egyptians with God's Signs, and they were afraid of him
go forth, both of you, to Pharaoh, and say: 'We have been sent by thy Lord and Cherisher of the
Worldssend thou with us the Children of Israel'
(26:10) Behold, thy Lord [GOD] called (3144) Moses: 'Go to the people of iniquity [Egyptians]' -
(26:11) 'The people of Pharaoh: Will they not fear God?'
(26:12) He [MOSES] said: 'O my Lord! I do fear that they will charge me with falsehood':
(26:13) 'My breast will be straightened (3145) and my speech may not go (smoothly): So send unto Aaron'.
(26:14) 'And (further), they have a charge of crime against me (3146); and I fear they may slay me'
(26:15) God said: 'By no means! Proceed then, both of you [MOSES AND AARON], with Our Signs; We are with
you, and will listen (to your call)'.
(26:16) 'So go forth, both of you, to Pharaoh, and say: 'We have been sent by thy Lord and Cherisher of the
Worlds';
(20:17) 'Send thou [PHARAOH] with us [MOSES
THE LAND OF ISRAEL].
AND
AARON] the Children of Israel' [FROM
THE
LAND
OF
EGYPT
TO

Moses felt diffident about undertaking his commissionGod reassured himhe went to
Pharaoh with 'the Signs'Pharaoh and his people rejected himtheir blasphemy recoiled on
themselves
(Note 3144, verse 26:10 Ali commentary, page 947) The part of the story of Moses told here is how
Moses felt diffident about undertaking his commission; how God reassured him; how he went to
Pharaoh with 'the Signs'; how Pharaoh and his people rejected him; how their blasphemy recoiled on
themselves, but the cause of God triumphed; in other words the point here is the reaction of a wicked
134
people to the Light that was held up to them, considered in its relation to the mind of God's
Messenger..
Moses had an impediment in his speech, and his mission was riskyBut God's Plan works
in wondrous ways. Aaron was given to assist him in his mission, and Moses' shortcomings
were transformed by God's grace into power, so that he became the most powerful leader of
Israel
(Note 3145, verse 26:13 Ali commentary, page 948) As we should say in English, 'My heart would
fail me, and my tongue cleave to my mouth'. Moses had an impediment in his speech, and his mission
was risky: See next note. But God's Plan works in wondrous ways. Aaron was given to assist him in
his mission, and Moses' shortcomings were transformed by God's grace into power, so that he
became the most powerful leader of Israel.
Mosesfled to the Midianite country in the Sinai peninsula, where he received the divine
commissionhe stood up boldly to speak to Pharaohhe dared the Egyptians with God's
Signs, and they were afraid of him
(Note 3146, verse 26:14 Ali commentary, page 948) Moses was brought up in the palace of
Pharaoh, as narrated in his personal story in Sura 20:39-40 and note 2563. When he was grown-up
he saw an Egyptian smiting an Israelite, and as the Israelites were being generally oppressed by the
Egyptians, Moses' anger was roused, and he slew the Egyptian. He then fled to the Midanite country
in the Sinai peninsula, where he received the divine commission. But the charge of slaying the
Egyptian was hanging against him. He was also apparently quick-tempered. But God's grace cured his
temper and he became wise; his impediment in speech, for he stood up boldly to speak to Pharaoh;
and his fear, for he dared the Egyptians with God's Signs, and they were afraid of him.
135

Moses tells Pharaoh to let the Children of Israel depart from Egypt for the Land of
Israel
Qur'an, Sura Dukhan (Smoke or Mist), 44:17-24
Text: There came to them an Apostle most honourable, saying: 'Restore to me
the servants of God(But they were aggressive). Then he cried to his Lord(The
reply came): March forth with My servants by night: For ye are sure to be
pursued
Ali Commentary: They were to march under the cover of night, because the
enemy was sure to pursue. They were to march with all believers, presumably
believing Egyptians (such as were not martyred) as well as Israelites, for some
Egyptians had believed
There came to them an Apostle most honourable, saying: 'Restore to me the servants of God
(But they were aggressive). Then he cried to his Lord(The reply came): March forth with My
servants by night: For ye are sure to be pursued
(44:17) We [GOD] did, before them, try the people of Pharaoh
most honourable (4701).
(4700)
: There came to them an Apostle [MOSES]
(44:18) Saying: 'Restore to me (4702) the servants of God [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AND GOD-FEARING EGYPTIANS]: I am
to you [PHARAOH AND THE EGYPTIANS] an Apostle worthy of all trust' (4703),
(44:19) 'And be not arrogant as against God: For I [MOSES] come to you [PHARAOH
authority manifest'.
AND THE
EGYPTIANS] with
(44:20) 'For me, I have sought (4704) safety with my Lord [GOD OF MOSES] and your Lord [MOSES' GOD,
GOD OF PHARAOH AND THE EGYPTIANS], against your injuring me' (4705),
THE
(44:21) 'If ye believe me not (4706), at least keep yourselves away from me'.
(44:22) (But they were aggressive)
indeed a people given to sin'.
(4707)
: Then he [MOSES] cried to his Lord [GOD]: 'These [EGYPTIANS] are
(44:23) (The reply came): 'March forth [from Egypt] with My [God's] servants [Children of Israel and
God-Fearing Egyptians] by night: For ye [Moses, the Children of Israel and God-Fearing Egyptians] are
sure to be pursued [by Pharaoh and the Egyptians]'.
(44:24) 'And leave the [RED] sea as a furrow (divided)
(destined) to be drowned'.
136
(4708)
for they [PHARAOH
AND THE
EGYPTIANS] are a host

This reference is to the pride of Pharaoh and his Egyptians, and their fall
(Note 4700, verse 44:17 Ali commentary, page 1346) This reference is to the pride of Pharaoh and
his Egyptians, and their fall, rather than to the story of Moses himself; just as in Sura 44:33 the
reference is to the blessings bestowed on Israel.
'Most honourable': This epithet is specially applied to Moses here

(Note 4701, verse 44:17 Ali commentary, page 1347) 'Most honourable': This epithet is specially
applied to Moses here, as expressing the truth, in contrast to the Pharaoh's false characterization of
him as 'a contemptible wretch' (Sura 43:52).
Mosesclaims all 'servants of God', i.e., true worshippers, as under his protection, for his
mission was both to the Egyptians and the Israelites
(Note 4702, verse 44:18 Ali commentary, page 1347) The argument of Moses and his 'authority
manifest' will be found at Sura 7:104-108, 120-126, 130-137. Notice how fully he assumes the
authority of his office here. He claims all 'servants of God', i.e., true worshippers, as under his
protection, for his mission was both to the Egyptians and the Israelites; he asks that they should be
restored to him; and he boldly denounces the Pharaoh's arrogance 'as against God'.
'Worthy of all trust': Amin, a title applied to prophets

(Note 4703, verse 44:18 Ali commentary, page 1347) 'Worthy of all trust': Amin, a title applied to
prophets in Sura 26.: e.g., see Sura 26:107. As the holy Prophet had historically earned that title
among his own people, the reminiscences of the story of Moses apply to him in his relations with the
arrogant Quraish.
It is no use their plotting his death or his vilification; for his safety is in God
(Note 4704, verse 44:18 Ali commentary, page 1347) It is no use their plotting his death or his
vilification; for his safety is in God. As he truly says, 'God is not only my Lord, but your Lord also; your
responsibility arises apart from my preaching, but I preach in order to remind you of it'.
'Injuring me': Literally 'stoning me'

(Note 4705, verse 44:20 Ali commentary, page 1347) 'Injuring me': Literally 'stoning me'. 'Stoning'
may be here symbolical of any injury or vilification.
137
Do not add to your sins by trying to suppress me and the Message of Truth which I bring
(Note 4706, verse 44:21 Ali commentary, page 1347) If you do not believe me, at least go your
ways: Do not add to your sins by trying to suppress me and the Message of Truth which I bring: Keep
out of my way'.
Then came the order to march. They were to march under the cover of night, because the
enemy was sure to pursue. They were to march with all believers, presumably believing
Egyptians (such as were not martyred) as well as Israelites, for some Egyptians had believed
(Note 4707, verse 44:22 Ali commentary, page 1347) They would not even leave him alone to do
his duty. So he cried to God, not indeed to destroy them, for a Prophet does not judge, but only God
judges; he justified himself in prayer, that he had done his best, but they were obdurate in sin, and
they were trying to oppress and injure the believers. Then came the order to march. They were to
march under the cover of night, because the enemy was sure to pursue. They were to march with all
believers, presumably believing Egyptians (such as were not martyred) as well as Israelites, for some
Egyptians had believed: Sura 7:121.
the sea had divided: They were to pass through the gap or furrow and leave it alone, to lure
on the Egyptian host, on which the sea afterwards closed in, totally destroying them
(Note 4708, verse 44:24 Ali commentary, page 1348) For the passage of Moses and his following,
the sea had divided: They were to pass through the gap or furrow and leave it alone, to lure on the
Egyptian host, on which the sea afterwards closed in, totally destroying them.
138

Moses tells Pharaoh to let the Children of Israel depart from Egypt for the Land of
Israel
Text: let the Children of Israel depart along with me
Ali Commentary: Moses led his people nearly to the land of Promise.Moses was
raised up with amissionto unite and reclaim his own peopleandto rescue
them and lead them to a new world, which was tolead them to the Psalms of
David and the glories of Solomon
I am an apostle from the Lord of the Worlds
(7:104) Moses (1071) said: 'O Pharaoh! (1072) I am an apostle from the Lord of the Worlds [God],
Now have I come unto you (people), from your Lord with a clear (Sign): So let the Children of
Israel depart along with me
(7:105) One [MOSES] for whom it is right to say nothing but truth about God. Now have I come unto you
(people) [EGYPTIANS], from (1073) your Lord with a clear (Sign): So let the Children of Israel depart along with
me.

Moses lead his people nearly to the land of Promise in spite of rebellions among his own
people
(Note 1071, verse 7:104 Ali commentary, page 372) The story of Moses is told in many places in
the Holy Qur'an, with a special lesson in each context. In Sura 2:49-71, the story is an appeal to the
Jews from their own scripture and traditions, to show their true place in the religious history of
mankind.In the case of Moses, the foreign foe was Pharaoh and his Egyptians, who boasted of their
earlier and superior civilisation.Moses led his people nearly to the land of Promise in spite of
rebellions among his own people.
Who was the Pharaoh in the story of Moses?.It is probable that it was an early Pharaoh of
the 18th Dynasty, say Thothmes I, about 1540 B.C.
(Note 1072, verse 7:104 Ali commentary, page 372) 'Pharaoh' (Arabic, Fir'aun) is a dynastic title,
not the name of any particular king in Egypt. It has been traced to the ancient Hieroglyphic words,
139
Per-da, which mean 'Great House'. The nun is an 'infirm' letter added in the process of Arabisation.
Who was the Pharaoh in the story of Moses? If the Inscriptions 'had' helped us, we could have
answered with some confidence, but unfortunately the Inscriptions fail us. It is probable that it was an
early Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, say Thothmes I, about 1540 B.C. . See appendix 4 on Egyptian
Chronology and Israel, printed at the end of this Sura.
Moses was raised up with amissionto united and reclaim his own peopleandto
rescue them and to lead them to a new world, which was to open out their spiritual horizon
and lead them to the Psalms of David and the glories of Solomon
(Note 1073, verse 7:105 Ali commentary, page 372) Notice that Moses, in addressing Pharaoh and
the Egyptians, claims his mission to be not from his God, or his people's God but from 'your Lord',
from 'the Lord of all the Worlds'. And his mission is not to his people only: 'I come unto you (Egyptian
people) from your Lord'.
Israel prospered in Egypt, and stayed there perhaps two to four centuries (Renan allows only one
century). Times changed, and the racial bigotry of the Egyptians showed its head again, and Israel
was oppressed. Moses was raised up with a threefold mission again: A) To learn all the learning of the
Egyptians and preach God's Truth to them as one who had been brought up among themselves; B)
To unite and reclaim his own people; and C) To rescue them and lead them to a new world, which was
to open out their spiritual horizon and lead them to the Psalms of David and the glories of Solomon.
140

Moses leads the Children of Israel across the Red Sea, and drowns Pharaoh and
the Egyptians
Text: We divided the Sea for you and saved you and drowned Pharaoh's people
within your very sight
Ali Commentary: By a miracle the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, but the host of
Pharaoh was drowned: Exodus 14:5-31
We divided the Sea for you and saved you and drowned Pharaoh's people within your very
sight
(2:50) And remember We [GOD] divided the [RED] Sea for you [CHILDREN
drowned Pharaoh's people [EGYPTIANS] within your very sight (65).
OF
ISRAEL] and saved you and

By a miracle the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, but the host of Pharaoh was drowned:
Exodus 14:5-31
(Note 65, verse 2:50 Ali commentary, page 29) When the Israelites at last escaped from Egypt, they
were pursued by Pharaoh and his hosts. By a miracle the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, but the host
of Pharaoh was drowned: Exodus 14:5-31.
141

the Egyptians
Qur'an, Sura A'raf (The Heights), 7:134-136, 138
Text: every time We removed the Penaltybehold! They broke their wordSo
We exacted retribution from them: We drowned them in the seaWe took the
Children of Israel (with safety) across the sea
Ali Commentary: The demand of Moses was two-fold: (1) Come to God and cease
from oppression; and (2) Let me take Israel out of EgyptWhen at last Pharaoh
let Israel go, they selected, not the highway to Canaan, along the Mediterranean
and by Gazabut by way of the wilderness of Sinai
If thou will remove the Penalty from us, we shall truly believe in thee, and we shall send away
the Children of Israel with theeevery time We removed the Penaltybehold! They broke their
wordSo We exacted retribution from them: We drowned them in the seaWe took the
Children of Israel (with safety) across the sea
(7:134) Every time the Penalty [ANOTHER PLAGUE] fell on them [PHARAOH AND THE EGYPTIANS], they said: 'O
Moses! On our behalf call on thy Lord [GOD] in virtue of His promise to thee: If thou wilt remove the Penalty
from us, we shall truly believe in thee, and we shall send away the Children of Israel [FROM EGYPT TO THE LAND
(1092)
OF ISRAEL] with thee'
.
(7:135) But every time We removed the Penalty from the according to a fixed term which they had to fulfill
(1093)
, behold! They broke their word!
(7:136) So We exacted retribution from them [PHARAOH AND THE EGYPTIANS]: We drowned them (1094) in the sea,
because they rejected Our Signs, and failed to take warning from them (1095).
(7:138) We took the Children of Israel (with safety) across the [RED] sea.

The demand of Moses was two-fold: (1) Come to God and cease from oppression; and (2)
Let me take Israel out of Egypt
(Note 1092, verse 7:134 Ali commentary, page 379) The demand of Moses was two-fold: (1) Come
to God and cease from oppression; and (2) Let me take Israel out of Egypt. At first it was laughed at
and rejected with scorn. When the Plagues came for punishment, each time the Egyptians suffered,
they promised amendment and begged Moses to intercede and cause the plague to cease. But every
142
time it ceased, they went back to their evil attitude, until the final retribution came. This is a type of the
sinner's attitude for all times.
The intercession of Moses was to prayer. Each plague or penalty had its appointed term in
God's decree. That term was duly fulfilled before the plague ceased. God's law is firm: It does
not vacillate like the human will
(Note 1093, verse 7:135 Ali commentary, page 379) The intercession of Moses was to prayer. Each
plague or penalty had its appointed term in God's decree. That term was duly fulfilled before the
plague ceased. God's law is firm: It does not vacillate like the human will. The intercession meant two
things: (1) That God's name was invoked and His presence daily brought home to the mind and heart
of the sinner who promised repentance; and (2) That the sinner was given a further chance if the
prayer was accepted. This again is a universal truth.
When at last Pharaoh let Israel go, they selected, not the highway to Canaan, along the
Mediterranean and by Gaza, because they were unarmed and would have encountered
immediate opposition there, but by way of the wilderness of Sinai
(Note 1094, verse 7:136 Ali commentary, page 379) When at last Pharaoh let Israel go, they
selected, not the highway to Canaan, along the Mediterranean and by Gaza, because they were
unarmed and would have encountered immediate opposition there, but by way of the wilderness of
Sinai. They had to cross the marshy end of the Red Sea, which they did while Pharaoh's host which
came in pursuit was drowned. Compare Sura 2:50.
The interview must have been either in a Palace near Goshen, where the Israelites dwelt, or
in Zoan (= Tanis), the Deltaic capital built by a former dynasty
(Note 1095, verse 7:136 Ali commentary, page 379) Where was the Council of Pharaoh held in
which Moses addressed Pharaoh? Egypt's primary capital in the 18th Dynasty was Thebes (= NotAmmon), but that was more than 400 miles to the south of the Delta, in whose corner Israel dwelt.
Memphis, on the apex of the Delta, a little south of where Cairo is now, was also over 100 miles from
Israel's habitations. The interview must have been either in a Palace near Goshen, where the
Israelites dwelt, or in Zoan (= Tanis), the Deltaic capital built by a former dynasty, which was of course
still available for the reigning dynasty, and which was not far from the Israelite settlement.
143

the Egyptians
Qur'an, Sura Qasas (The Narration), 28:40-42
Text: We seized him and his hosts, and We flung them into the sea
Ali Commentary: Pharaoh and his hosts were drowned in the sea in their pursuit
of the Israelites
We seized him and his hosts, and We flung them into the sea
(28:40) So We [GOD] seized him [PHARAOH] and his hosts [EGYPTIANS], and We flung them into the [RED] sea
(3373)
: Now behold what was the End of those who did wrong!
(28:41) And We made them [PHARAOH AND THE EGYPTIANS] (but) leaders inviting to the Fire; and on the Day of
Judgment no help shall they find.
(28:42) In this world We made a Curse to follow them (3374): And on the Day of Judgment they will be among
the loathed (and despised).

Pharaoh and his hosts were drowned in the sea in their pursuit of the Israelites
(Note 3373, verse 28:40 Ali commentary, page 1013) Pharaoh and his hosts were drowned in the
sea in their pursuit of the Israelites: See Sura 7:130-136. They are the type of men who lead only to
Destruction. They invite, not to Peace and Happiness, but to the Fire of Wrath, mutual Envy, and
Hatred.
in the Hereaftertrue values will be restored, and some of the highest and mightiest will be
in the lowest depths of degradation
(Note 3374, verse 28:42 Ali commentary, page 1014) Power and patronage may be lauded by
sycophants and selfish place-hunters; but when they are misused, and when their exposure causes
their fall, they suffer ignominy even in this life. If they manage to escape exposure while alive, it often
happens that they are found out after their death, and the curses of many generations follow those
whose oppressions and wrong-doing spoiled the fair face of God's earth. But even this is nothing
compared to the true Punishment that will come in the Hereafter. There, true values will be restored,
and some of the highest and mightiest will be in the lowest depths of degradation.
144

the Egyptians
Qur'an, Sura Zukhruf (Gold Adornments), 43:51-56
Text: When at length they provoked Us, We exacted retribution from them, and
We drowned them all
Ali Commentary: Barring a few Egyptians who believed in God and the Message
of Moses, the rest of Pharaoh's entourage followed Pharaoh in the pursuit of
revenge, and were drowned in the Red Sea Pharaoh and his hosts were blotted
out, and became as a tale of the past
When at length they provoked Us, We exacted retribution from them, and We drowned them all.
And We made them (a people) of the Past and an Example to later ages
(43:51) And Pharaoh proclaimed among his people, saying: 'O my people! Does not the dominion of Egypt
belong to me, (witness) (4653) these streams flowing underneath my (palace)? What! See ye not then?'.
(43:52) Am I not better than this (Moses), who is a contemptible wretch
himself clearly?.
(4654)
and can scarcely express
(43:53) Then why are not (4655) Gold bracelets bestowed on him [MOSES], or (why) come (not) with him
angels accompanying him in procession?'.
(43:54) Thus did he [PHARAOH] make fools of his people [EGYPTIANS], and they obeyed him: Truly they were a
people rebellious (against God).
(43:55) When at length they [PHARAOH
them, and We drowned them all (4657).
AND THE
EGYPTIANS]
(4656)
provoked Us, We exacted retribution from
(43:56) And We made them (a people) of the Past (4658) and an Example to later ages.

The Pharaoh, therefore, as commanding the Nile, commanded the gods who personified
Egypt. He boasted of water, and he perished in water a fitting punishment
(Note 4653, verse 53:51 Ali commentary, page 1334) The waw here in Arabic is the Waw haliya:
The abundant streams from the Nile flowing beneath his palace being evidence of his power,
prosperity, and sovereignty. The Nile made (and makes) Egypt, and the myth of the god Osiris was a
compound of the myths of the Nile and the sun. The Pharaoh, therefore, as commanding the Nile,
145
commanded the gods who personified Egypt. He boasted of water, and he perished in water a fitting
punishment!.
Being a despised Israelite

(Note 4654, verse 43:52 Ali commentary, page 1335) Being a despised Israelite in any case, and
having further an impediment in his speech. See Sura 20:27, and notes 2552-2553.
Barring a few Egyptians who believed in God and the Message of Moses, the rest of
Pharaoh's entourage followed Pharaoh in the pursuit of revenge, and were drowned in the
Red Sea
(Note 4655, verse 43:53 Ali commentary, page 1335) Gold bracelets and gold chains were possibly
among the insignia of royalty. In any case, they betokened wealth, and the materialists judge a man's
worth by his wealth and his following and equipage. So Pharaoh wanted to see Moses, if he had any
position in the spiritual kingdom, invested with gold bracelets, and followed by a great train of angels
as his Knight-companions! The same kind of proofs were demanded by the materialist Quraish of our
holy Prophet. These were puerilities, but such puerilities go down with the crowd. Barring a few
Egyptians who believed in God and the Message of Moses, the rest of Pharaoh's entourage followed
Pharaoh in the pursuit of revenge, and were drowned in the Red Sea.
God is patientBut at length comes a time when His justice is provoked, and the inevitable
punishment follows
(Note 4656, verse 43:55 Ali commentary, page 1335) God is patient, and gives many and many
opportunities to the most hardened sinners for repentance. But at length comes a time when His
justice is provoked, and the inevitable punishment follows.
(Note 4657, verse 43:55 Ali commentary, page 1335) Compare Sura 7:136.
Pharaoh and his hosts were blotted out, and became as a tale of the past
(Note 4658, verse 43:56 Ali commentary, page 1335) Pharaoh and his hosts were blotted out, and
became as a tale of the past. Their story is an instructive warning and example to future generations.
The later course of Egyptian religion after the Exodus is referred to in Appendix Five, pages 408-413.
146

the Egyptians
Qur'an, Sura Zariyat (Winds that Scatter), 51:38-40
Text: We took him and his forces, and threw them into the Sea
Ali Commentary: Pharaoh's reliance was on his Chiefs and his forces, but they
could not help when his doom came
We took him and his forces, and threw them into the Sea; and his was the blame
(51:38) And in Moses
manifest.
(5016)
(was another Sign): Behold, We [GOD] sent him to Pharaoh, with authority
(51:39) But (Pharaoh) turned back with his Chiefs, and said, 'A sorcerer, or one possessed'.
(51:40) So We took him [PHARAOH] and his forces [EGYPTIANS], and threw them into the [RED] Sea; and his
[PHARAOH'S] was the blame (5017).

Pharaoh's reliance was on his Chiefs and his forces, but they could not help when his doom
came
(Note 5016, verse 51:38 Ali commentary, page 1426) Compare Sura 44:17-31. The story of Moses
and Pharaoh is here just referred to. The points emphasized here are: (1) That Moses had manifest
authority, yet Pharaoh doubted; (2) That Pharaoh's reliance was on his Chiefs and his forces, but they
could not help when his doom came; and (3) That in the most extraordinary and incredible ways
(judged by ordinary human standards), his arrogance and his reliance on his Chiefs and forces was
his undoing.
Pharaoh's punishment was just. He could not blame any one else
(Note 5017, verse 51:40 Ali commentary, page 1426) The ungodly Egyptians were all destroyed,
but the chief blame lay on Pharaoh for misleading them. Pharaoh's punishment was just. He could not
blame any one else. And certainly no one can blame the course of God's Justice, for God was patient,
and gave him many chances to repent.
147

the Egyptians
Qur'an, Sura Yunus (Jonah), 10:90-92
Text: We took the Children of Israel across the sea: Pharaoh and his hosts
followed them in insolence and spitewhen overwhelmed with the flood, he said:
'I believe that there is no god except Him Whom the Children of Israel believe in
Ali Commentary: This was death-bed repentance
We took the Children of Israel across the sea: Pharaoh and his hosts followed them in insolence
and spite. At length, when overwhelmed with the flood, he said: 'I believe that there is no god
except Him Whom the Children of Israel believe in'
(10:90) We [GOD] took the Children of Israel across the sea: Pharaoh and his hosts [EGYPTIANS] followed
them in insolence and spite(1472). At length, when overwhelmed with the flood, he said: 'I believe that there is
no god except Him Whom the Children of Israel believe in (1473). I am of those who submit (to God in Islam)'.
(10:91) (It was said to him): 'Ah now! But a little while before, wast thou in rebellion! And thou didst
mischief (and violence)!'
(10:92) 'This day shall We [GOD] save thee [PHARAOH] in thy body, that thou mayest be a sign to those who
come after thee! But verily, many among mankind are heedless of Our Signs!'.

The execution of poetic justice could not have been described in fewer words
(Note 1472, verse 10:90 Ali commentary, page 507) Notice the swiftness of the action in the
narrative. The execution of poetic justice could not have been described in fewer words.
148
This was death-bed repentance, and even so it was forced by the terror of the catastrophe.
So it was not accepted in its entirety
(Note 1473, verse 10:90 Ali commentary, page 507) That is, in the One True God. This was deathbed repentance, and even so it was forced by the terror of the catastrophe. So it was not accepted
(compare Sura 4:18) in its entirety. Only this concession was made, that the body was saved from the
sea, and presumably, according to Egyptian custom, it was embalmed and the mummy was given due
rites of the dead. But the story commemorated for ever God's working, in mercy for His people, and in
just punishment of oppressors.
149

the Egyptians
Qur'an, Sura Nahl (The Bee), 16:45
Text: Do then those who devise evil (plots) feel secure
Ali Commentary: Pharaohwas arrogantly hoping to frustrate God's plans for
Israel
Do then those who devise evil (plots) feel secure thatthe Wrath will not seize them from
directions they little perceive?
(16:45) Do then those who devise evil (plots) feel secure that God will not cause the earth to swallow them
up, or that the Wrath will not seize them from directions they little perceive? (2071).

The case of Pharaoh is also in point. He was drowned while he was arrogantly hoping to
frustrate God's plans for Israel
(Note 2071 on verse 16:45 Ali commentary, page 667) Compare Sura 16:26. The wicked plot
against Men of God in secret, forgetting that every hidden thought of theirs is known to God, and that
for every thought and action of theirs they will have to account to God. And God's punishment can
seize them in various ways. Four are enumerated here. (1) They may be swallowed up in the earth
like Qarun [Korach], whose story is told in Sura 28:76-81. He was swallowed up in the earth while he
was arrogantly exulting on the score of his wealth. (2) It may be that, like Haman, the prime minister of
Pharaoh, they are plotting against God, when they are themselves overwhelmed by some dreadful
calamity; Sura 11:36-38, Sura 29:39-40. The case of Pharaoh is also in point. He was drowned while
he was arrogantly hoping to frustrate God's plans for Israel, Sura 10:90-92.
150

the Egyptians
Qur'an, Sura Ta Ha (Mystic Letters, T.H.), 20:77-79
Text: We sent an inspiration to Moses: 'Travel by night with My servants
Ali Commentary: The people of Israel wereled on their way to the Promised
Land
We sent an inspiration to Moses: 'Travel by night with My servants, and strike a dry path for
them through the sea
(20:77) We [GOD] sent an inspiration (2599) to Moses: 'Travel by night with My servants [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL],
and strike a dry path for them through the [RED] sea, without fear of being overtaken (by Pharaoh) and
without (any other) fear.
(20:78) Then Pharaoh pursued them [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] with his forces [EGYPTIANS], but the waters [OF THE
RED SEA] completely overwhelmed them [EGYPTIANS] and covered them up.
(20:79) Pharaoh led his people [EGYPTIANS] astray instead of leading them aright (2600).

The people of Israel wereled on their way to the Promised Land
(Commentary 145, verses 20:77-104 Ali commentary, page 805) The people of Israel were rescued
from bondage and led on their way to the Promised Land
at last Moses is commanded to leave Egypt with his people by night. They were to cross the
Red Sea into the Sinai Peninsula
(Note 2599, verse 20:77 Ali commentary, page 805) Time passes, and at last Moses is commanded
to leave Egypt with his people by night. They were to cross the Red Sea into the Sinai Peninsula.
They were told to have no fear of Pharaoh or of the sea or of the unknown desert country of Sinai into
which they were going. They crossed dry-shod, while Pharaoh who came in pursuit with his troops
was overwhelmed by the sea. He and his men all perished.
151
It is the duty of kings and leaders to give the right lead to their people
(Note 2600, verse 20:79 Ali commentary, page 805) It is the duty of kings and leaders to give the
right lead to their people. Instead of that, the evil ones among them lead them astray and are the
cause of the whole of the people perishing.
152

the Egyptians
Qur'an, Sura Shu'araa (The Poets), 26:53-69
Text: We made the Children of Israel inheritors of such things
Ali Commentary: We (i.e. God) have decreed that they shall inherit all these
things', as they certainly did (for a time) in the Land of Promise, Palestine
The Children of Israel certainly inherited the gardens, springs, treasures, and
honourable positions in Palestine after many years' wandering in the wilderness
Thus it was, but We made the Children of Israel inheritors of such things
(26:53) By inspiration We [GOD] told Moses: 'Travel by night with My servants [CHILDREN
surely ye shall be pursued (3167).
OF
ISRAEL]; for
(26:54) Then Pharaoh sent heralds to (all) the Cities,

(26:55) (Saying): 'These (Israelites) are but a small band,
(26:56) And they [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] are raging furiously against us [Egyptians];
(26:57) But we [EGYPTIANS] are a multitude amply fore-warned.
(26:58) So We [God] [Ali translates as 'we', i.e. Pharaoh] expelled them [Children of Israel]
gardens, springs,
(3168)
from
(26:59) Treasures, and every kind of honourable position;

(26:60) Thus it was, but We [GOD] made the Children of Israel inheritors
ISRAEL].
(3169)
of such things [IN THE LAND OF
(26:61) So they [EGPYTIANS] pursued them [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] at sunrise.

(26:62) And when the two bodies [EGYPTIANS AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] saw each other, the people of Moses
said: 'We are sure to be overtaken'.
(26:63) (Moses) said: 'By no means! My Lord is with me! Soon will He guide me!'
(26:64) Then We told Moses by inspiration: 'Strike the sea with thy rod'. So it divided, and each separate
part became like the huge, firm mass of a mountain.
(26:65) And We made the other party [EGYPTIANS] approach thither.
(26:66) We delivered Moses and all who were with him [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL].
153
(26:67) But We drowned the others [PHARAOH AND THE EGYPTIANS].

(26:68) Verily in this is a Sign: But most of them do not believe.
(26:69) And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.

We come now to the story of Israel leaving Egypt, pursued by Pharaoh
(Note 3167, verse 26:53 Ali commentary, page 953) .We come now to the story of Israel leaving
Egypt, pursued by Pharaoh. Here again there are three contrasts: (1) The blind arrogance of the
Egyptians, against the development of God's Plan; (2) The Faith of Moses, against the fears of his
people; and (3) The final deliverance of the seed of righteousness [ OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL], against
the destruction of the host of brute force [PHARAOH AND THE EGYPTIANS].
'We (i.e. God) have decreed that they shall inherit all these things', as they certainly did (for a
time) in the Land of Promise, Palestine
(Note 3168, verse 26:58 Ali commentary, page 954) In deference to almost unanimous authority I
have translated this passage (verses 26:58-60) as if it were a parenthetical statement of God's
purpose. Personally, I prefer another construction. According to that verse 26:58-59 will be part of
Pharaoh's proclamation: 'We have dispossessed the Israelites from everything good in the land and
made them our slaves'; and verse 26:60 only will be parenthetical: 'Poor ignorant men! You may
oppress those who are helpless, but We (i.e. God) have decreed that they shall inherit all these
things', as they certainly did (for a time) in the Land of Promise, Palestine.
The Children of Israel certainly inherited the gardens, springs, treasures, and honourable
positions in Palestine after many years' wandering in the wilderness
(Note 3169, verse 26:60 Ali commentary, page 954) The Children of Israel certainly inherited the
gardens, springs, treasures, and honourable positions in Palestine after many years' wandering in the
wilderness. But when they were false to God, they lost them again, and another people (the Muslims)
inherited them when they were true in Faith. These latter not only inherited Palestine, but also Egypt
and the old Pharaonic power and institutions were lost forever. 'Of such things', literally, 'of them'.
154

the Egyptians
Text: We wished toestablish a firm place for them in the land
Ali Commentary: God's Plan was tomake them custodians and leaders in His
Faith, and to give them in inheritance a land 'flowing with milk and honey'. Here
they were established in authority for such time as they followed God's Law
We wished to be gracious to those who were being depressed in the land, to make them leaders
(in Faith) and make them heirs, establish a firm place for them in the land
(28:3) We [GOD] rehearse to these some of the story of Moses and Pharaoh in Truth, for people who believe
(3328)
.
(28:4) Truly, Pharaoh elated himself in the land [EGYPT] and broke up its people into sections (3329),
depressing a small group [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] among them: Their sons he slew, but he kept alive their
females: For he was indeed a maker of mischief.
(28:5) And We wished to be gracious to those [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] who were being depressed in the land
[EGYPT] (3330) to make them leaders (in Faith) and make them heirs, establish a firm place for them in the land
[LAND OF ISRAEL], and to slay Pharaoh, Haman (3331), and their hosts, at their hands, the very things against
which they were taking precautions (3332).

when he was called to his mission, he received God's favour, which defeated all the plots of
his enemies. Thus God's Plan works continuously in the web of events
(Note 3328, verse 28:3 Ali commentary, page 1002) The part of the story of Moses told here is how
Moses and his mother were guided in the child's infancy, that even as he grew up, he might be
prepared for his high destiny; how in youth he trusted God in the most awkward situations and sought
His help; how he fled into exile, and yet found love and support because of his well-doing: And how,
when he was called to his mission, he received God's favour, which defeated all the plots of his
enemies. Thus God's Plan works continuously in the web of events. Which the Fates are supposed to
be weaving. Those who have faith will thus see the hand of God in everything and welcome the light
that comes to them by Revelation. With such a Faith there is no room for Chance or blind Fate.
155
Pharaoh and his clique were intoxicated with pride of race and pride of material civilisation,
and grieveously oppressed the Israelites. Pharaoh decreed that all male sons born to his
Israelite subjects should be killed, and the females kept alive for the pleasure of the
Egyptians
(Note 3329, verse 28:4 Ali commentary, page 1002) For a king or ruler to make invidious
distinctions between his subjects, and specially to depress or oppress any particular class of his
subjects, is a dereliction of his kingly duties, for which he is responsible to God. Pharaoh and his
clique were intoxicated with pride of race and pride of material civilisation, and grieveously oppressed
the Israelites. Pharaoh decreed that all male sons born to his Israelite subjects should be killed, and
the females kept alive for the pleasure of the Egyptians. Moses was saved in a wonderful way, as
related further.
God's Plan was to protect them as they were weak, and indeed to make them custodians
and leaders in His Faith, and to give them in inheritance a land 'flowing with milk and honey'.
Here they were established in authority for such time as they followed God's Law
(Note 3330, verse 28:5 Ali commentary, page 1002) What Pharaoh wished was to crush them
[CHILDREN OF ISRAEL]. But God's Plan was to protect them [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] as they were weak, and
indeed to make them custodians and leaders in His Faith, and to give them in inheritance a land [LAND
OF ISRAEL] 'flowing with milk and honey'. Here they were established in authority for such time as they
followed God's Law. As regards Pharaoh and his ministers and hosts, they were to be shown that they
would suffer, at the hands of the Israelites, the very calamities against which they were so confidently
taking precautions for themselves.
Haman was evidently Pharaoh's minister, not to be confounded with a Haman who is
mentioned in the Old Testament (Esther 3:1)
(Note 3331, verse 28:5 Ali commentary, page 1003) Haman was evidently Pharaoh's minister, not
to be confounded with a Haman who is mentioned in the Old Testament [TANACH] (Esther 3:1) as a
minister of Ahasuerus (Xerxes) King of Persia, the same who invaded Greece, and ruled from B.C.
484 to 464.
Pharaoh was trying to kill the Israelites.In pursuing the Israelites in their flight, Pharaoh and
his army were themselves overwhelmed in the sea
(Note 3332, verse 28:5 Ali commentary, page 1003) Pharaoh was trying to kill the Israelites.
Instead, the Plagues of Egypt, invoked by Moses, killed thousands of Egyptians (Sura 7:133, and
notes 1091-1092), because 'they were steeped in arrogance, a people given to sin'. In pursuing the
Israelites in their flight, Pharaoh and his army were themselves overwhelmed in the [RED] sea.
156

the Egyptians
Qur'an, Sura Bani Isra-il (The Children of Israel), 17:101-104
Text: he resolved to remove them from the face of the earth: But We did drown
him and all who were with him. We said thereafter to the Children of Israel, 'Dwell
securely in the land (of promise)'
Ali Commentary: The Israelites were taken to the Promised Land and they
established their own kingdom there
To Moses We did give nine Clear Signs
(17:101) To Moses We [GOD] did give nine Clear Signs (2308): Ask the Children of Israel: When he [MOSES]
came to them [EGYPTIANS] (2309); Pharaoh said to him: 'O Moses! I consider thee, indeed, to have been worked
upon by sorcery' (2310).
I consider thee indeed, O Pharaoh, to be one doomed to destruction!

(17:102) Moses said, 'Thou knowest well that these things have been sent down by none but the Lord of the
heavens and the earth as eye-opening (2311) evidence: And I consider thee indeed, O Pharaoh, to be one
doomed to destruction!'
he resolved to remove them from the face of the earth: But We did drown him and all who were
with him
(17:103) So he [PHARAOH] resolved to remove them [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] (2312) from the face of the earth: But
We did drown [IN THE RED SEA] him [PHARAOH] and all [EGYPTIANS] who were with him.
We said thereafter to the Children of Israel, 'Dwell securely in the land (of promise)'
(17:104) And We [GOD] said thereafter to the Children of Israel, 'Dwell securely in the land
promise) [LAND OF ISRAEL]'.
(2313)
(of

The story of Pharaohis here told with a view to exhibiting the decline of a soul
(Note 2308, verse 17:101 Ali commentary, page 723) 'Nine Clear Signs': See Sura 7:133, note
1091. The story of Pharaoh (or a phase of it) is here told with a view to exhibiting the decline of a soul
on account of pride in outward power and dignity.
157
Pharaohsitting in his Council, with the Chiefs of his people

(Note 2309, verse 17:101 Ali commentary, page 723) 'To them': i.e., to Pharaoh, as sitting in his
Council, with the Chiefs of his people. Compare Sura 7:103. The whole scene is described in some
detail from the point of view of nations or Ummats in Sura 7:103-133.
Pharaoh's Chiefs call Moses a 'sorcerer well-versed

(Note 2310, verse 17:101 Ali commentary, page 723) At a different and later stage in the scene,
Pharaoh's Chiefs call Moses a 'sorcerer well-versed' (Sura 7:109). Here, Moses, who had come with
the Nine Signs but had not yet shown them, is reproached with being the object of sorcery: He is
practically told that he is mad!
if Pharaoh resisted faith, Moses warns him that Pharaoh in that case was doomed to
destruction
(Note 2311, verse 17:102 Ali commentary, page 724) We can well suppose Moses to ask Pharaoh
to recall all the past history of Moses, for Moses had been brought up in Pharaoh's palace in all the
learning of the Egyptians. He could not therefore be mad, or a simpleton worked on by Egyptian
magic. What he was going to show was something far greater; it was not the deceptive magic of
Pharaoh's sorcerers, but true Signs that came from the God of all power. They were to open the eyes
of his people [MOSES' PEOPLE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AND PHARAOH'S PEOPLE THE EGYPTIANS], and if Pharaoh
resisted faith, Moses warns him that Pharaoh in that case was doomed to destruction. This is the
course of the soul that sinks down by Pride!
God's Wrath descended on Pharaoh and those who were with him in body and mind
(Note 2312, verse 17:103 Ali commentary, page 724) Pharaoh on this tries various subterfuges and
plans for removing not only Moses but all his people by doing away with them. The detailed story is
not told here but may be read in Sura 7. But God's Wrath descended on Pharaoh and those who were
with him in body and mind. The Egyptians who repented were subject to Pharaoh's wrath but were
saved from the Wrath of God (Sura 7:121-126)
The Israelites were taken to the Promised Land in Palestinethey established their own
kingdom there
(Note 2313, verse 17:104 Ali commentary, page 724) The Israelites were taken to the Promised
Land in Palestine, and they established their own kingdom there [KINGDOM OF DAVID AND SOLOMON IN THE
LAND OF ISRAEL], but they forfeited God's favour by their sins and backslidings and will have to answer
like all souls by the law of personal responsibility at the Day of Judgment.
158

Moses reminds the Children of Israel of God's promise to them
Qur'an, Sura Ta Ha (Mystic Letters, T.H.), 20:86
Text: Did not Your Lord make a handsome promise to you?
Ali Commentary: God's promise was to protect them and lead them to the
Promised Land
He said: 'O my people! Did not Your Lord make a handsome promise to you? Did then the
promise seem to you long (in coming)?
(20:86) So Moses returned [FROM MOUNT SINAI] to his people [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] in a state of indignation
and sorrow. He said: 'O my people! Did not Your Lord [GOD] make a handsome (2606) promise to you? Did
then the promise seem to you long (in coming)? Or did ye desire that Wrath should descend from your Lord
[GOD] on you, and so ye broke your promise to me?.

God's promise was to protect them and lead them to the Promised Land
(Note 2606, verse 20:86 Ali commentary, page 807) There are two promises referred to in this
verse: The promise of God and the promise of the people of Israel. They form one Covenant, which
was entered into through their leader Moses. See Sura 20:80 and Sura 2:63, note 78. God's promise
was to protect them and lead them to the Promised Land, and their promise was to obey God's Law
and His commandments.
159

Moses prepares the Children of Israel to fight for the Land of Israel
Text: Those Apostles We endowed with gifts.To one of them God spoke
Ali Commentary: Mosesorganized them to fight with the sword for Palestineit
fell to Joshua to carry out his plan
Those Apostles We endowed with giftsTo one of them God spoke
(2:253) Those Apostles We [GOD] endowed with gifts, some above others
spoke (290); others [DAVID] He raised to degrees (of honor) (291)
(289)
. To one of them [MOSES] God

Moses.organized them to fight with the sword for Palestineit fell to Joshua to carry out
his plan
(Note 289, verse 2:253 Ali commentary, page 101) Different gifts and different modes of procedure
are prescribed to God's Apostles in different ages, and perhaps their degrees are different though it is
not for us mortals, with our imperfect knowledge, to make any difference between one and another of
God's Apostles (Sura 2:136). As this winds up the argument about fighting, three illustrations are given
from the past, how it affected God's Messengers.
To Moses God spoke in clouds of glory; he led his men for forty years through the wilderness, mainly
fighting against the unbelief of his own people; he organised them to fight with the sword for Palestine,
but was raised to God's mercy before his enterprise ripened, and it fell to Joshua to carry out his plan.
Davidwas chosen by God. He overthrew the greatest warrior of his time, became a king,
and waged successful wars
David, though a mere shepherd boy, was chosen by God. He overthrew the greatest warrior of his
time, became a king, and waged successful wars, being also a prophet, a poet, and a musician.
160
Moses
(Note 290, verse 2:253 Ali commentary, page 101) Moses, see note above.
I take the reference to be to David

(Note 291, verse 2:253 Ali commentary, page 101) There is a two-fold sense: They were raised to
high posts of honour, and they rose by degrees. I take the reference to be to David.
161

Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb call upon the Children of Israel to fight for the
Land of Israel
Qur'an, Sura Maida (The Table), 5:20-26
Text: O my people! Enter the holy land which God hath assigned unto you, and
turn not back, ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to your own ruin
Ali Commentary: Only those who were then children would reach the Promised
Land. Forty years afterwards they crossed the Jordan opposite what is now
Jericho
'Oh my people! Call into remembrance the favour of God unto you, when He produced prophets
among you, made you kings and gave you what He had not given to any other among the
peoples.
(5:20) Remember Moses said to his people [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL]: 'Oh my people! Call into remembrance the
favour of God unto you, when He produced prophets among you (721), made you kings (722) and gave you what
[HIS LAND, TORAH AND PEOPLE COVENANTS] He had not given to any other among the peoples (723).
O my people! Enter the holy land which God hath assigned unto you, and turn not back,
ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to your own ruin'
(5:21) O my people (724)! Enter the holy land [LAND OF ISRAEL] which God hath assigned unto you, and turn
not back, ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to your own ruin'.
(5:22) They said: 'O Moses! In this land [LAND OF ISRAEL] are a people [CANAANITES] of exceeding strength
(725)
: Never shall we enter it until they leave it: If (once) they leave, then shall we enter'.
among (their) God-fearing men were two on whom God had bestowed His grace. They said:
'Assault them at the (proper) Gate: When once ye are in, victory will be yours; but on God put
your trust if ye have faith.
(5:23) (But) among (their) [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL'S] God-fearing men were two [CALEB OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH AND
JOSHUA OF THE TRIBE OF EPHRAIM] on whom God had bestowed His grace (726). They [CALEB AND JOSHUA] said:
'Assault them [CANAANITES] at the (proper) Gate: When once ye are in, victory will be yours; but on God put
your trust if ye have faith'.
(5:24) They said: 'O Moses! While they [CANAANITES] remain there [LAND OF ISRAEL], never shall we be able to
enter, to the end of time. Go thou [MOSES], and thy Lord, and fight ye two [CALEB AND JOSHUA] while we sit here
(727)
(and watch)'.
162
(5:25) He [MOSES] said: 'O my Lord! I have power only over myself and my brother [AARON] (728): So
separate us from this rebellious people!'
God said: 'Therefore will the land be out of their reach for forty years
(5:26) God said: 'Therefore will the land [OF ISRAEL] be out of their [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL's] reach for forty
years (729): In distraction will they wander through the land [WILDERNESS OF SINAI]: But sorrow thou not over
these rebellious people'.

There was a long line of patriarchs and prophets before Moses
(Note 721, verse 5:20 Ali commentary, page 248) There was a long line of patriarchs and prophets
before Moses, e.g., Abraham, Isaac, Isma'il, Israel, etc.
From the slavery of Egypt the Children of Israel were made free and independent
(Note 722, verse 5:20 Ali commentary, page 248) From the slavery of Egypt the Children of Israel
were made free and independent, and thus each man became as it were a king, if only he had obeyed
God and followed the lead of Moses.
Israel was chosen to be the vehicle of God's message, the highest favour which any nation
can receive
(Note 723, verse 5:20 Ali commentary, page 248) Compare Exodus 19:5: 'Now, therefore, if ye
[CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar
treasure unto Me above all people'. Israel was chosen to be the vehicle of God's mess age, the highest
favour which any nation can receive.
We may suppose that Israel crossed from Egypt into the Peninsula somewhere near the
northern extremity of the Gulf of Suez
(Note 724, verse 5:21 Ali commentary, page 248) We now come to the events detailed in the 13 th
and 14th chapters of the Book of Numbers in the Old Testament [TANACH]. Read these as a
Commentary, and examine a good map of the Sinai Peninsula, showing its connections with Egypt on
the west, North-West Arabia on the east, and Palestine on the north-east. We may suppose that Israel
crossed from Egypt into the Peninsula somewhere near the northern extremity of the Gulf of Suez.
Mosesinstituted the Priesthood

(Note 724, verse 5:21 Ali commentary, page 248 continued) Moses organized and numbered the
people, and instituted the Priesthood.
163
Mount Sinai where the Law was received

(Note 724, verse 5:21 Ali commentary, page 248 continued) They went south about 200 miles to
Mount Sinai where the Law was received.
twelve men were sent to spy out the Landthey penetrated as far as Hebronabout 20
miles south of the future Jerusalem
(Note 724, verse 5:21 Ali commentary, page 248 continued) Then, perhaps a hundred and fifty
miles north, was the desert of Paran, close to the southern borders of Canaan. From the camp there
twelve men were sent to spy out the Land [OF CANAAN], and they penetrated as far as Hebron, say
about 150 miles north of their camp, about 20 miles south of the future Jerusalem.
They saw a rich country, and brought from it pomegranates, and figs and a bunch of grapes
(Note 724, verse 5:21 Ali commentary, page 248 continued) They saw a rich country, and brought
from it pomegranates, and figs and a bunch of grapes so heavy that it had to be carried by two men on
a staff. They came back and reported that the Land [OF CANAAN] was rich, but the men there were too
strong for them. The people of Israel had no courage and no faith, and Moses remonstrated with
them.
The people were not willing to follow the lead of Moses, and were not willing to fight for their
'inheritance'
(Note 725, verse 5:22 Ali commentary, page 249) The people [OF ISRAEL] were not willing to follow
the lead of Moses, and were not willing to fight for their 'inheritance' [THE LAND OF ISRAEL]. In effect they
said: 'Turn out the enemy first, and then we shall enter into possession'. In God's Law we must work
and strive for what we wish to enjoy.
two men who had faith and courage. They were Joshua and Caleb. Joshua afterwards
succeeded Moses in the leadership after 40 years
(Note 726, verse 5:23 Ali commentary, page 249) Among those who returned after spying out the
Land [OF CANAAN] were two men who had faith and courage. They were Joshua [BEN AMMINADAV OF THE
TRIBE OF EPHRAIM] and Caleb [BEN YEFUNEH OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH]. Joshua afterwards succeeded Moses in
the leadership after 40 years. These two men pleaded for an immediate entry through the proper
Gate, which I understand to mean, 'after taking all the precautions and making all due preparations'.
Compare Sura 2:189 and note 203. But of course, they said, they must put their trust in God for
victory.
The advice of Joshua and Caleb, and the proposals of Moses under divine instructions were
unpalatable to the crowd
(Note 727, verse 524 Ali commentary, page 249) The advice of Joshua and Caleb, and the
proposals of Moses under divine instructions were unpalatable to the crowd, whose prejudices were
164
further inflamed by the other ten men who had gone with Joshua and Caleb. They made an 'evil
report', and were frightened by the great stature of the Canaanites.
The crowd was in open rebellion, was prepared to stone Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb,
and return to Egypt
(Note 727, verse 524 Ali commentary, page 249 continued) The crowd was in open rebellion, was
prepared to stone Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb, and return to Egypt. Their reply to Moses was full
of irony, insolence, blasphemy, and cowardice. In effect they said: 'You talk of your God and all that:
Go with your God and fight there if you like: We shall sit here and watch'.
Moses prayed and interceded. But as we are told hereMoses was careful to separate
himself and his brother from the rebellion
(Note 728, verse 5:25 Ali commentary, page 250) 'Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the
assembly of the congregation' (Numbers 14:5). According to the words in the Old Testament [TANACH]
story, God said: 'I will smite them [SINNERS AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] with the pestilence, and
disinherit them' (Numbers 14:12). Moses prayed and interceded. But as we are told hereMoses was
careful to separate himself and his brother [AARON] from the rebellion.
they were left to wander distractedly hither and thither through the wilderness for forty
years
(Note 729, verse 5:26 Ali commentary, page 250) The punishment of the rebellion of these stiffnecked people, rebellion which was repeated 'these ten times' (Numbers 14:22) and more, was that
they were left to wander distractedly hither and thither through the wilderness for forty years.
Only those who were then children would reach the Promised Land
(Note 729, verse 5:26 Ali commentary, page 250 continued) That generation was not to see the
Holy Land [OF ISRAEL]. All those that were twenty years old and upwards were to die in the wilderness,
'your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness'. (Numbers 14:29). Only those who were then children
would reach the Promised Land [OF ISRAEL].
Forty years afterwards they crossed the Jordan opposite what is now Jericho, but by that
time Moses, Aaron, and the whole of the elder generation had died
(Note 729, verse 5:26 Ali commentary, page 250 continued) And so it happened. From the Desert
of Paran, they wandered south, north, and east for forty years. From the head of what is now the Gulf
of Aqaba, they traveled north, keeping to the east side of the depression of which the Dead Sea and
the River Jordan are portions. Forty years afterwards they crossed the Jordan opposite what is now
Jericho, but by that time Moses, Aaron, and the whole of the elder generation had died.
165

Moses leads the Children of Israel within sight of the Promised Land
Commentary 86, Sura A'raf (The Heights), verses 7:100-157
Ali Commentary: the story of Moseshis final deliverance of his people from
foreign domination, and his leading them within sight of the Promised Land
the story of Moses, his struggles with an alien and arrogant people, his final deliverance of
his people from foreign domination, and his leading them within sight of the Promised Land
(Commentary 86, Sura 7, verses 100-157 Ali commentary, page 370) the story of Moses, his
struggles with an alien and arrogant people [EGYPTIANS], his final deliverance of his people [CHILDREN OF
ISRAEL] from foreign domination, and his leading them within sight of the Promised Land, in spite of the
forces that resisted.
166

Living in the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey
Qur'an, Sura Yunus (Jonah), 10:93
Text: We settled the Children of Israel in a beautiful dwelling-place
Ali Commentary: the Israelites were settled in the land of Canaan, described as 'a
land flowing with milk and honey' (Exodus 3:8)
Abraham and Israel had settled in the Palestine country
We settled the Children of Israel in a beautiful dwelling-place
(10:93) We [GOD] settled the Children of Israel in a beautiful
provided for them sustenance of the best.
(1474)
dwelling-place [LAND
OF
ISRAEL], and

the Israelites were settled in the land of Canaan, described as 'a land flowing with milk and
honey' (Exodus 3:8). They had a prosperous land
(Note 1474, verse 10:93 Ali commentary, page 508) After many wanderings the Israelites were
settled in the land of Canaan, described as 'a land flowing with milk and honey' (Exodus 3:8). They
had a prosperous land; and they were supplied with spiritual sustenance by men sent to deliver God's
Message.
Abraham and Israel had settled in the Palestine country

(Appendix Four Ali commentary, page 405) we are now in a position to examine the date about
Israel's stay in Egypt in order to see if we can get some idea of the time in Egyptian history when the
contact took place. We saw the Dynasties 10 to 17 were concerned with the Hyksos (or Shepherd)
kings. They were foreigners from Asia, but it is not quite clear exactly what race they belonged to.
Josephus supposed that they were Israelites, but that theory is untenable. They founded a city
called Zoan (Tanis) on one of the eastern branches of the Deltaic Nile, and were in close
communication with the Hittite city of Hebron in the south of Palestine. As the Hyksos had close
relations with the Hebron in Palestine, and Abraham and Israel [JACOB] had settled in the Palestine
country, a nexus would be established, by which the first Israelites would be attracted to Zoan in
Egypt. It must be remembered that southern Palestine was a poor country and subject to frequent
famines, while Deltaic Egypt was well-watered by the Nile, and suffered famines only on the rare
occasions when the Nile failed to inundate.
167

Living in the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey
Qur'an, Sura Sajda (Adoration), 32:23-26
Text: how many generations We destroyed before them, in whose dwellings they
(now) go to and fro
Ali Commentary: The Jews could see vestiges of the Philistines, Amalekites, etc.
in Palestine
Does it not teach them a lesson, how many generations We destroyed before them, in whose
dwellings they (now) go to and fro
(32:23) We [GOD] did indeed aforetime give the Book [TORAH] to Moses: Be then not in doubt of its reaching
(thee): and We made it a guide to the Children of Israel].
(32:24) And We appointed, from among them [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL], Leaders, giving guidance under Our
command, so long as they persevered with patience and continued to have faith in Our Signs.
(32:25) Verily, thy Lord will judge between them on the Day of Judgment, in the matters wherein they differ
(among themselves).
(32:26) Does it not teach them [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] a lesson, how many generations We destroyed before
them, in whose dwellings they (now) go to and fro [IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL] (3660)? Verily, in that are Signs: Do
they not then listen?

If a nation gone astray could only learn from the history of earlier nations that were destroyed
for their evil!.The Jews could see vestiges of the Philistines, Amalekites, etc. in Palestine
(Note 3660, verse 32:26 Ali commentary, page 1098) If a nation gone astray could only learn from
the history of earlier nations that were destroyed for their evil! They could see vestiges of them in their
daily goings to and fro: The Jews could see vestiges of the Philistines, Amalekites, etc. in Palestine,
and the pagan Arabs, of the Ad and Thamud in Arabia.
168

Saul and David lead the Children of Israel to victory over Goliath and the
Philistines
Qur'an, Sura Al Baqarah (The Heifer), 2:246-251
Text: They said to a Prophet (which was) among them: 'Appoint for us a king,
that we may fight in the cause of GodBy God's will, they routed them: And David
slew Goliath; and God gave him power and wisdom.
Ali Commentary: The next generation after Moses and Aaron was ruled by
Joshua, who crossed the Jordan and settled the tribes in Palestine. His rule lasted
for twenty five years. David was a raw youth with no arms or armourthe giant
Goliath mocked himbut his faith had made him more than a match for the
Philistine hostsHeused Goliath's own sword to slay him
They said to a Prophet (which was) among them: 'Appoint for us a king, that we may fight in
the cause of God'. He said: 'Is it not possible, if ye were commanded to fight, that ye will not
fight?' They said: 'How could we refuse to fight in the cause of God, seeing that we were turned
out of our homes and our families?' But when they were commanded to fight; they turned back,
except a small band among them
(2:246) Hast thou not turned thy vision to the chiefs of the Children of Israel after (the time of) Moses (277)?
They said to a Prophet [SAMUEL] (278) (which was) among them: 'Appoint for us a king, that we may fight in
the cause of God'. He said: 'Is it not possible (279), if ye were commanded to fight, that ye will not fight?' They
said: 'How could we refuse to fight in the cause of God, seeing that we were turned out of our homes and our
families?' But when they were commanded to fight; they turned back, except a small band among them . But
God has full knowledge of those who do wrong.
Their Prophet said to them: 'God hath appointed Talut as king over you'
(2:247) Their Prophet [SAMUEL] said to them: 'God hath appointed Talut [SAUL] (280) as king over you'. They
said: 'How can he exercise authority over us when we are better fitted than he to exercise authority, and he is
not even gifted with wealth in abundance?' He said: 'God hath chosen him above you, and hath gifted him
abundantly with knowledge and bodily prowess: God granteth authority to whom He pleaseth, God careth
for all, and He knoweth all things'.
169
'A sign of his authority is that there shall come to you the Ark of the Covenant, with (an
assurance) therein of security from your Lord, and the relics left by the family of Moses and the
family of Aaron, carried by angels'
(2:248) And (further) their Prophet [SAMUEL] said to them: 'A sign of his [SAUL'S] authority is that there shall
come to you the Ark of the Covenant (281), with (an assurance) therein of security (282) from your Lord, and the
relics left by the family of Moses and the family of Aaron, carried by angels (283). In this is a symbol for you if
ye indeed have Faith'.
Talut set forth with the armies

(2:249) When Talut [SAUL] set forth with the armies [OF ISRAEL], he said (284): 'God will test you [CHILDREN OF
ISRAEL] at the stream, if any drinks of its water, he goes not with my army: Only those who taste not of it go
with me: A mere sip out of the hand is excused'. But they all drank of it, except a few. When they crossed the
river, he [SAUL] and the faithful ones [AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] with him, they said: 'This day (285) we
cannot cope with Goliath and his forces [PHILISTINE ARMY]'. But those who were convinced that they must meet
God, said: 'How oft, by God's will, hath a small force vanquished a big one? God is with those who
steadfastly persevere'.
they advanced to meet Goliath and his forces

(2:250) When they [SAUL AND THE ARMIES OF ISRAEL] advanced to meet Goliath and his forces [PHILISTINE ARMY],
they [SAUL AND THE ARMIES OF ISRAEL] prayed: 'Our Lord! Pour out constancy on us and make our steps firm:
Help us against those [GOLIATH AND THE PHILISTINE ARMY] that reject faith'.
By God's will, they routed them: And David slew Goliath; and God gave him power and wisdom
and taught him whatever (else) He willed
(2:251) By God's will, they [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] routed them [PHILISTINES]: And David (286) slew Goliath; and
God gave him [DAVID] power and wisdom and taught him [DAVID] whatever (else) He [GOD] willed (287). And
did not God check one set of people [PHILISTINES] by another [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL], the earth would indeed be
full of mischief: But God is full of Bounty to all the worlds (288).

The next generation after Moses and Aaron was ruled by Joshua, who crossed the Jordan
and settled the tribes in Palestine. His rule lasted for twenty five years
(Note 277, verse 2:246 Ali commentary, page 97) The next generation after Moses and Aaron was
ruled by Joshua, who crossed the Jordan and settled the tribes in Palestine. His rule lasted for twenty
five years, after which there was a period of 320 years when the Israelites had a chequered history.
They were not united among themselves, and suffered many reverses at the hands of the Midianites,
Amalekites and other tribes of Palestine. They [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] frequently lapsed into idolatry and
deserted the worship of the true God.
170
From time to time a leader appeared among themtheseare called Judgesthe last of
their line was Samuel, who marks the transition towards the line of Kings on the one hand and
of the later Prophets on the other
(Note 277, verse 2:246 Ali commentary, page 97 continued) From time to time a leader appeared
among them who assumed dictatorial powers. Acting under a sort of theocratic commission from God,
he pointed out their backsliding, re-united them under His banner, and restored, from time to time and
place to place, the power of Israel. These dictators are called Judges in the English translation of the
Old Testament [TANACH]. The last of their line was Samuel, who marks the transition towards the line of
Kings on the one hand and of the later Prophets on the other. He [SAMUEL] may be dated approximately
about the 11th century B.C..
The Israelites, instead of relying on Faith and their own valour and cohesion, brought out
their most sacred possession, the Ark of the Covenant, to help them in the fight.The enemy
found that the Ark brought nothing but misfortune upon themselves, and were glad to
abandon it. It apparently remained twenty years in the village (qarya) of Ya'arim (Kirjathjearim) (I Samuel 7:2).the people pressed Samuel to appoint them a king
(Note 278, verse 2:246 Ali commentary, page 98) This was Samuel. In his time Israel had suffered
from much corruption within and many reverses without. The Philistines had made a great attack and
defeated Israel with great slaughter. The Israelites, instead of relying on Faith and their own valour
and cohesion, brought out their most sacred possession, the Ark of the Covenant, to help them in the
fight. But the enemy [PHILISTINES] captured it, carried it away, and retained it for seven months. The
Israelites forgot that wickedness cannot screen itself behind a sacred relic. Nor can a sacred relic help
the enemies of faith. The enemy found that the Ark brought nothing but misfortune upon themselves,
and were glad to abandon it. It apparently remained twenty years in the village ( qarya) of Ya'arim
(Kirjath-jearim) (I Samuel 7:2) [MODERN ABU GOSH, JUST WEST OF JERUSALEM]. Meanwhile the people pressed
Samuel to appoint them a king. They thought that a king would cure all their ills, whereas what was
wanting was a spirit of union and discipline and a readiness on their part to fight in the cause of God.
Samuel knew as a Prophet that the people were fickle and only wanted to cover their own
want of union and true spirit by asking for a king
(Note 279, verse 2:246 Ali commentary, page 98) Samuel knew as a Prophet that the people were
fickle and only wanted to cover their own want of union and true spirit by asking for a king. They
replied with spirit in words, but when it came to action, they failed. They hid themselves in caves and
rocks, or ran away, and even those who remained 'followed him with trembling' (I Samuel 13:6-7).
Talat is the Arabic name for Saul, who was tall and handsome, but belonged to the tribe of
Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel
(Note 280, verse 2:247 Ali commentary, page 98) Talat is the Arabic name for Saul, who was tall
and handsome, but belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel. His worldly
171
belongings were slender, and it was when he went out to search for some asses which had been lost
from his father's house that he met Samuel and was anointed king by him. The people's fickleness
appeared immediately he was named. They raised all sorts of petty objections to him: The chief
consideration in their minds was selfishness: Each one wanted to be leader and king himself, instead
of desiring sincerely the good of the people as a whole, as a leader would do.
Ark of the Covenant: Tabut: A chest of acacia wood covered and lined with pure gold.It
was to contain the 'testimony of God', or the Ten Commandments engraved on stone, with
relics of Moses and Aaron
(Note 281, verse 2:248 Ali commentary, page 99) 'Ark of the Covenant': Tabut: A chest of acacia
wood covered and lined with pure gold, about 6ft x 3ft x 3ft. See Exodus 25:10-22. It was to contain
the 'testimony of God', or the Ten Commandments engraved on stone, with relics of Moses and
Aaron. Its Gold lid was to be the 'Mercy Seat' with two cherubim [ANGELS] of beaten gold, with wings
outstretched. This was a sacred possession to Israel.
it remained in a village for twenty years and was apparently taken to the capital when
kingship was instituted
(Note 281, verse 2:248 Ali commentary, page 99 continued) It was lost to the enemy in the early
part of Samuel's ministry; see note 278 to Sura 2:246; when it came back, it remained in a village for
twenty years and was apparently taken to the capital [JERUSALEM] when kingship was instituted. It thus
became a symbol of unity and authority.
a symbol of God's Glory in the Tabernacle or tent in which the Ark was kept, or in the
Temple, when it was built by Solomon
(Note 282, verse 2:248 Ali commentary, page 99) 'Security': sakina - safety, tranquility, peace. Later
Jewish writings use the same word for a symbol of God's Glory in the Tabernacle or tent in which the
Ark was kept, or in the Temple, when it was built by Solomon.
the cherubim with outstretched wings on the lid may well be supposed to carry the security
or peace which the Ark symbolized
(Note 283, verse 2:248 Ali commentary, page 99) 'Carried by angels': These words refer to the
Tabut or Ark, the cherubim with outstretched wings on the lid may well be supposed to carry the
security or peace which the Ark symbolised.
172
A commander is hampered by a large force if it is not in perfect discipline.He must get rid
of all the doubtful ones, as did Gideon before SaulSaul used the same test as Gideon; he
gave a certain order when crossing a stream, the greater part disobeyed and were sent back.
Gideon's story will be found in Judges 7:2-7
(Note 284, verse 2:249 Ali commentary, page 99) A commander is hampered by a large force if it is
not in perfect discipline and does not wholeheartedly believe in its Commander. He must get rid of all
the doubtful ones, as did Gideon before Saul, and Henry 5 in Shakespeare's story long afterwards.
Saul used the same test as Gideon; he gave a certain order when crossing a stream, the greater part
disobeyed and were sent back. Gideon's story will be found in Judges 7:2-7.
there was a very small band who were determined to face all odds because they had
perfect confidence in God and in the cause for which they were fighting. They were for
making a firm stand and seeking God's help. Of that number was David
(Note 285, verse 2:249 Ali commentary, page 99) Even in the small band [OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL]
that remained faithful [TO GOD], there were some who were appalled by the number of the enemy
[PHILISTINE ARMIES] when they met him face to face, and saw the size and strength of the enemy
Commander, the giant Goliath (Jalut). But there was a very small band who were determined to face
all odds because they had perfect confidence in God and in the cause for which they were fighting.
They were for making a firm stand and seeking God's help. Of that number was David; see next note.
David was a raw youth with no arms or armourthe giant Goliath mocked himbut his faith
had made him more than a match for the Philistine hostsHeused Goliath's own sword to
slay him
(Note 286, verse 2:251 Ali commentary, page 100) Note how the whole story is compressed into a
few words as regards narration, but its spiritual lessons are dwelt upon from many points of viewThe
Qur'an assumes the story, but tells the parable. David was a raw youth with no arms or armour. He
was not known even in the Israelite camp, and the giant Goliath mocked him. Even David's own elder
brother chided him for deserting his sheep, for he was a poor shepherd lad to outward appearance,
but his faith had made him more than a match for the Philistine hosts. When Saul offered his own
armour and arms to David, the young hero declined as he had not tried them, while his shepherd's
sling and staff were his well-tried implements. He picked up five smooth pebbles on the spot from the
stream and used his sling to such effect that he knocked down Goliath. He then used Goliath's own
sword to slay him. There was consternation in the Philistine army: They broke and fled and were
pursued and cut to pieces.
if we would preserve our national existence and our faith it is our duty to fight with courage
and firmness.Pure faith brings God's reward, which may take many forms; in David's case it
was Power, Wisdom, and other gifts
(Note 286, verse 2:251 Ali commentary, page 100 continued) Apart from the main lesson that if we
would preserve our national existence and our faith it is our duty to fight with courage and firmness
173
there are other lessons in David's story: (1) Numbers do not count by faith, determination and the
blessing of God; (2) Size and strength are of no avail against truth courage and careful planning; (3)
The hero tries his own weapons and those that are available to him at the time and place even though
people may laugh at him; (4) If God is with us, the enemy's weapon may become an instrument of his
own destruction; (5) Personality conquers all dangers and puts heart into our own wavering friends:
(6) Pure faith brings God's reward, which may take many forms; in David's case it was Power,
Wisdom, and other gifts; see next note.
David was not only a shepherd, a warrior, a king, a wise man, and a prophet.His Psalms
(zabur) are still extant
(Note 287, verse 2:251 Ali commentary, page 100) David was not only a shepherd, a warrior, a
king, a wise man, and a prophet, but was also endowed with the gifts of poetry and music. His Psalms
(zabur) are still extant.
God's plan is universal. He loves and protects all His creatures and His bounties are for all
worlds
(Note 288, verse 2:251 Ali commentary, page 100) God's plan is universal. He loves and protects
all His creatures and His bounties are for all worlds (i, 2.n.). To protect one He may have to check
another, but we must never lose faith that His love is for all in boundless measure.
174

David fights Goliath
Qur'an, Sura Hajj (Pilgrimage), 22:39-41
Text: To those against whom War is made, permission is given (to fight)
Ali Commentary: the expression is used in connection with David's fight against
the Philistines
To those against whom War is made, permission is given (to fight)
(22:39) To those against whom (2816) War is made, permission is given (to fight ), because they are wronged;
and verily, God is Most Powerful for their aid;
Did not God check one set of people by means of another, there would surely have been pulled
down monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of God is
commemorated in abundant measure
(22:40) (They are) those who have been expelled from their homes in defiance of right, (for no cause)
except that they say, 'Our Lord is God'. Did not God check one set of people by means of another (2817), there
would surely have been pulled down monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of
God is commemorated in abundant measure. God will certainly aid those who aid His (cause); for verily
God is Full of Strength, exalted in Might (2818), (able to enforce His Will).
(22:41) (They are) those who, if We [GOD] establish them in the land, establish regular prayer and give
regular charity, enjoin the right and forbid wrong (2819), with God rests the end (and decision) of (all)
affairs.

The wrong is indicated: 'driven by persecution from their home, for no other reason that that
they worshipped the One True God'. This was the first occasion on which fighting in selfdefence was permitted
(Note 2816, verse 22:39 Ali commentary, page 861) Several translators have failed to notice that
yuqataluna (in the best-approved texts) is the passive voice, 'against whom war is made', - not 'who
take arms against the unbelievers' as Sale translates it. The clause 'and verily their aid' is
parenthetical. Verse 40 connects on with 'they are wronged'. The wrong is indicated: 'driven by
persecution from their home, for no other reason that that they worshipped the One True God'. This
was the first occasion on which fighting in self-defence was permitted. This passage therefore
undoubtedly dates from Madinah.
175
the expression is used in connection with David's fight against the Philistines. To allow a
righteous people to fight against a ferocious and mischief-loving people was fully justified.
The principle involved was that of all worship, Jewish or Christian as well as Muslim, and of all
foundations built for pious uses
(Note 2817, verse 22:40 Ali commentary, page 862) Compare Sura 2:251, where the expression is
used in connection with David's fight against the Philistines. To allow a righteous people [CHILDREN OF
ISRAEL] to fight against a ferocious and mischief-loving people [PHILISTINES] was fully justified.the little
Muslim community was not only fighting for its own existence against the Meccan Quraish, but for the
very existence of the Faith in the One True God. They had as much right to be in Mecca and worship
in the Ka'ba as the other Quraish; yet they were exiled for their Faith. It affected not the faith of one
peculiar people. The principle involved was that of all worship, Jewish or Christian as well as Muslim,
and of all foundations built for pious uses.
Aziz means Exalted in power, rank, dignity

(Note 2818, verse 22:40 Ali commentary, page 862) Aziz means Exalted in power, rank, dignity ;
Incomparable; Full of might and majesty; Able to enforce His Will. The last signification is the one that
predominates here.
The justification of the righteous in resisting oppressionwhen they are led by a righteous
Imam.They are not fighting for themselves.They are fighting for the right
(Note 2819, verse 22:41 Ali commentary, page 862) The justification of the righteous in resisting
oppression when not only they but their Faith is persecuted and when they are led by a righteous
Imam, is that it is a form of self-sacrifice. They are not fighting for themselves, for land, power or
privilege. They are fighting for the right.
176

David defeats Goliath
Text: others He raised to degrees (of honor)
Ali Commentary: David, though a mere shepherd boy, was chosen by God. He
overthrew the greatest warrior of his time, became a king, and waged successful
wars
others He raised to degrees (of honor)
(2:253) Those Apostles We endowed with gifts, some above others
(290)
; others [DAVID] He raised to degrees (of honor) (291)
(289)
. To one of them [MOSES] God spoke

Mosesorganized them to fight with the sword for Palestine, but was raised to God's mercy
before his enterprise ripened, and it fell to Joshua to carry out his plan
(Note 289, verse 2:253 Ali commentary, page 101) Different gifts and different modes of procedure
are prescribed to God's Apostles in different ages, and perhaps their degrees are different though it is
not for us mortals, with our imperfect knowledge, to make any difference between one and another of
God's Apostles (Sura 2:136). As this winds up the argument about fighting, three illustrations are given
from the past, how it affected God's Messengers.
To Moses God spoke in clouds of glory; he led his men for forty years through the wilderness, mainly
fighting against the unbelief of his own people; he organised them to fight with the sword for Palestine,
but was raised to God's mercy before his enterprise ripened, and it fell to Joshua to carry out his plan.
David, though a mere shepherd boy, was chosen by God. He overthrew the greatest warrior
of his time, became a king, and waged successful wars, being also a prophet, a poet, and a
musician
David, though a mere shepherd boy, was chosen by God. He overthrew the greatest warrior of his
time, became a king, and waged successful wars, being also a prophet, a poet, and a musician.
Moses
(Note 290, verse 2:253 Ali commentary, page 101) Moses, see note above.
177
I take the reference to be to David

(Note 291, verse 2:253 Ali commentary, page 101) There is a two-fold sense: They were raised to
high posts of honour, and they rose by degrees. I take the reference to be to David.
178

Text: I fulfill My Covenant with you
Ali Commentary: I have fulfilled My part of the Covenant by bringing you out of
the land of bondage and giving you Canaan, the land 'flowing with milk and
honey'
I fulfill My Covenant with you
(2:40) O Children of Israel! Call to mind the (special) favour which I [GOD] bestowed upon you, and fulfill
your Covenant (58) with Me as I fulfill My Covenant with you, and fear none but Me.

I have fulfilled My part of the Covenant by bringing you out of the land of bondage and giving
you Canaan, the land 'flowing with milk and honey'
(Note 58, verse 2:40 Ali commentary, page 27) The Appeal is made to Israel subjectively in terms
of their own tradition. You claim to be a favoured nation; have you forgotten My favours? You claim a
special Covenant with Me. I have fulfilled My part of the Covenant by bringing you out of the land of
bondage [EGYPT] and giving you Canaan, the land 'flowing with milk and honey'. How have you fulfilled
your part of the Covenant? Do you fear for your national existence? If you fear Me, nothing else will
matter.
179

The Children of Israel must hold firmly onto the Land of Israel
Text: remember We took your Covenant.Hold firmly to what We have given
you
Ali Commentary: The Covenant was taken from them under many portents
(Exodus 19:5, 8, 16, 18).the people solemnly entered into the Covenant
Hold firmly to what We have given you
(2:63) And remember We [GOD] took your Covenant and We raised above you (the towering height) of
Mount (Sinai) (78) (saying): 'Hold firmly to what We have given you [THE LAND OF ISRAEL, AND THE TORAH] and
bring (ever) to remembrance what is therein [IN THE TORAH]: Perchance ye may fear God.

The Covenant was taken from them under many portents (Exodus 19:5, 8, 16, 18).the
people solemnly entered into the Covenant: All the people answered together and said, 'All
that the Lord hath spoken we will do'
(Note 78, verse 2:63 Ali commentary, page 34) The Mountain of Sinai (Tur-u-Sinin), a prominent
mountain in the Arabian desert, in the peninsula between the two arms of the Red Sea. Here the Ten
Commandments and the Law were given to Moses. Hence it is now called the Mountain of Moses
(Jabal Musa). The Israelites encamped at the foot of it for nearly a year. The Covenant was taken from
them under many portents (Exodus 19:5, 8, 16, 18) which are described in Jewish tradition in great
detail. Under thunder and lightening the mountain must indeed have appeared an awe-inspiring sight
above to the Camp at its foot. And the people solemnly entered into the Covenant: All the people
answered together and said, 'All that the Lord hath spoken we will do'.
180

The Children of Israel must hold firmly onto the Land of Israel
Text: remember We took your Covenant.Hold firmly to what We have given
you
Ali Commentary: the Commandments and the Law had been given at Mount
Sinai, and the people had solemnly given their Covenant
Hold firmly to what We have given you
Mount (Sinai): (Saying): 'Hold firmly to what We have given you [THE LAND OF ISRAEL] and hearken (to the
Law)(99).

the Commandments and the Law had been given at Mount Sinai, and the people had
solemnly given their Covenant
(Note 99, verse 2:93 Ali commentary, page 42) After the Commandments and the Law had been
given at Mount Sinai, and the people had solemnly given their Covenant, Moses went up to the
Mount
181

Kingdom of David and Solomon in the Land of Israel
Qur'an, Sura Sad (being one of the Abbreviated Letters), 38:26
Text: O David We did indeed make thee a viceregent on earth
Ali Commentary: David's kingly power, and the gifts of wisdom, justice,
psalmody, and prophethood were bestowed on him as a trust
O David We did indeed make thee a viceregent on earth: So judge thou between men in truth
(and justice)
(38:26) O David We [God] did indeed make thee a viceregent (4177) on earth: So judge thou between men in
truth (and justice): Nor follow thou the lusts (of thy heart), for they will mislead thee from the Path of God:
For those who wander astray form the Path of God, is a Penalty Grievous, for that they forget the Day of
Account.

David's kingly power, and the gifts of wisdom, justice, psalmody, and prophethood were
bestowed on him as a trust
(Note 4177, verse 38:26 Ali commentary, page 1223) Compare Sura 2:30 and note 47. David's
kingly power, and the gifts of wisom, justice, psalmody, and prophethood were bestowed on him as a
trust. These great gifts were not to be a matter of self-glory.
182

Qur'an, Sura Bani Isra'il (The Children of Israel), 17:55
Text: We gave to Davidthe Psalms
Ali Commentary: David was given the Zabur, the Psalter or Psalms, intended to
be sung for the worship of God and the celebration of God's praise
We gave to David (the gift of) the Psalms
(17:55) And it is your Lord [GOD] that knoweth best all beings that are in the heavens (2240) and on earth: We
[GOD] did bestow on some Prophets more (and other) gifts than on others: And We gave to David (the gift of)
the Psalms (2241).

Not only are we not to judge other ordinary men and carp at them. We are not to set up false
standards for judging the men of God
(Note 2240, verse 17:55 Ali commentary, page 709) Not only are we not to judge other ordinary
men and carp at them. We are not to set up false standards for judging the men of God. If one
[MUHAMMAD] was born of the unlearned Arab race, he yet was a mercy to all of the worlds. If one spoke
to God as Kalimullah or another's life as Ruh-allah began with a miracle, it does not imply superiority.
It only means that God's wisdom is more profound than we can fathom.
A striking example here given is the gift of song and music as given to David, but it implies
no superiority of David over others. David was given the Zabur, the Psalter or Psalms,
intended to be sung for the worship of God and the celebration of God's praise
(Note 2241, verse 17:55 Ali commentary, page 709) The spiritual gifts with which the prophets
came may themselves take different forms, according to the needs of the world and the times in which
they lived, as judged by the wisdom of God. A striking example here given is the gift of song and
music as given to David, but it implies no superiority of David over others. David was given the Zabur,
the Psalter or Psalms, intended to be sung for the worship of God and the celebration of God's praise.
For the Book of Psalms, see the last part of note 669 to Sura 4:163, where exactly the same words
are used about David.
183

Qur'an, Sura Nisaa (The Women), 4:163
Text: We sent inspiration toSolomon, and to David We gave the Psalms
Ali Commentary: we haveSolomon the Kingand David. David's distinction was
the Psalms, which are still extant
We sent inspiration toSolomon, and to David We gave the Psalms
(4:163) We [GOD] have sent thee [MUHAMMAD] inspiration, as We sent it to Noah, and the Messengers (668)
after him: We sent inspiration to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes [TWELVE TRIBES OF JACOB
(ISRAEL)], to Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the Psalms.

inspiration was sent to many MessengersEvery nation or group of people had an apostle
(Note 668, verse 4:163 Ali commentary, page 232) First we have a general statement: That
inspiration was sent to many Messengers, and the inspiration was of the same kind as that sent to the
Apostle Muhammad, for God's Message is one. Note that what is spoken of here is Inspiration, not
necessarily a Book. Every nation or group of people had an apostle: Sura 10:47. Some of these
apostles have been mentioned by name in the Qur'an, and some not: Sura 4:164.
we have Aaron the priest and Solomon the King, both great figuresand David. David's
distinction was the Psalms, which are still extant
(Note 669, verse 4:163 Ali commentary, page 232) Compare Sura 2:136 and Sura 3:84. The list
here is given in three groups: (1) The first group, Abraham's family, is the same as in Sura 2:136
(where see the note) and in Sura 3:84. (2) Then we have the tragic figures of Jesus, Job and Jonah,
whose mission was from a worldly point of view unsuccessful. (3) Then we have Aaron the priest and
Solomon the King, both great figures, but each subordinate to another primary figure, viz., Moses
(mentioned in the next verse) and David (mentioned at the end of this verse), David's distinction was
the Psalms, which are still extant. Though their present form may possibly be different from the
original, and they do undoubtedly include Psalms not written by David, the collection contains much
devotional poetry of a high order.
184

Qur'an, Sura An'am (Cattle), 6:84-87
Text: We gave him Isaac and Jacob: All (three) We guidedand among his
progeny, David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron
Ali Commentary: We have now a list of eighteen Apostles in four groupsThe
first group to be mentioned is that of Abraham, his son Isaac, and Isaac's son
Jacob In the second group, we haveDavid and Solomon, the real establishers
of the Jewish monarchy
We gave him Isaac and Jacob: All (three) We guided. And before him We guided Noah, and
among his progeny, David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron
(6:84) We [GOD] gave him [ABRAHAM] Isaac and Jacob: All (three) We guided (903). And before him [ABRAHAM]
We guided Noah (904), and among his [ABRAHAM'S] progeny, David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron:
Thus do We reward those who do good:
(6:85) And Zakariya and John (905), and Jesus and Elias: All in the ranks of the Righteous:
(6:86) And Isma'il and Elisha (906) and Jonas, and Lot: And to all We gave Favour above the nations:
(6:87) (To them) and to their fathers
to a straight Way.
(907)
, and progeny and brethren: We chose them, and We guided them

We have now a list of eighteen Apostles in four groupsThe first group to be mentioned is
that of Abraham, his son Isaac, and Isaac's son Jacob
(Note 903, verse 6:84 Ali commentary, page 312) We have now a list of eighteen Apostles in four
groups, covering the great Teachers accepted among the three great religions based on Moses, Jesus
and Muhammad. The first group to be mentioned is that of Abraham, his son Isaac, and Isaac's son
Jacob. Abraham was the first to have a Book. His Book is mentioned in Sura 87:19, though it is now
lost. They were therefore the first to receive Guidance in the sense of a Book.
185
In the second group, we haveDavid and Solomon, the real establishers of the Jewish
monarchy
(Note 904, verse 6:84 Ali commentary, page 312) In the second group, we have the great founders
of families, apart from Abraham, viz., Noah of the time of the Flood; David and Solomon, the real
establishers of the Jewish monarchy; Job, who lived 140 years, saw four generations of descendants,
and was blessed at the end of his life with large pastoral wealth (Job 42:16,12); Joseph, who as
Minister of State did great things in Egypt and was the progenitor of two Tribes; and Moses and Aaron,
the leaders of the Exodus from Egypt. They led active lives and are called 'doers of good'.
The third group consists not of men of action, but Preachers of Truth, who led solitary lives.
Their epithet is: 'the Righteous'. They were mystic prophetsElias is the same as Elijah
(Note 905, verse 6:85 Ali commentary, page 312) The third group consists not of men of action, but
Preachers of Truth, who led solitary lives. Their epithet is: 'the Righteous'. They were mystic prophets
and form a connected group round Jesus. Zakariya was the father of John the Baptist, the precursor of
Jesus (Sura 3:37-41); and Jesus referred to John the Baptist as Elias; 'this is Elias, which was for to
come' (Matthew 11:14); and Elias is said to have been present and talked to Jesus at the
Transfiguration on the Mount (Matthew 17:3). Elias is the same as Elijah.
Elisha (Al-Yasa) succeeded to the mantle of the Prophet Elijah (same as Elias, see last
note); he lived in troubled times for both the Jewish kingdoms (of Judah and Israel); there
were wicked kings, and other nations were pressing in on them; but he performed many
miracles, and some check was given to the enemies under his advice
(Note 906, verse 6:86 Ali commentary, page 312) This is the last group, described as those
'favoured above the nations'. It consists of four men who had all great misfortunes to contend with,
and were concerned in the clash of nations, but they kept in the path of God, and came through above
the clash of nations. Isma'il was the eldest son of Abraham; when he was a baby, he and his mother
had nearly died of thirst in the desert round Mecca; but they were saved by the well of Zamzam, and
he became the founder of the new Arab nation. Elisha (Al-Yasa) succeeded to the mantle of the
Prophet Elijah (same as Elias, see last note); he lived in troubled times for both the Jewish kingdoms
(of Judah and Israel); there were wicked kings, and other nations were pressing in on them; but he
performed many miracles, and some check was given to the enemies under his advice. The story of
Jonas (Yunus) is well-known: He was swallowed by a fish or whale, but was saved by God's mercy:
Through his preaching, his city (Nineveh) was saved (Sura 10:98). Lot was a contemporary and
nephew of Abraham: When the city of Sodom was destroyed for its wickedness, he was saved as a
just man (Sura 7:80-84).
(Note 907, verse 6:87 Ali commentary, page 313) I take verse 87 to refer back to all the four groups
just mentioned.
186

Qur'an, Sura Naml (The Ants), 27:15-16, 19-20, 34
Text: We gaveknowledge to David and SolomonAnd Solomon was David's
heir
Ali Commentary: Solomon not only inherited his father's kingdom, but his
spiritual insight and the prophetic office Solomon was a king of power and
authority; outside his kingdom he had influence among many neighbouring
peoples
(Ali translation, page 981-983, 985-986)
We gave (in the past) knowledge to David and SolomonAnd Solomon was David's heir
(27:15) We [GOD] gave (in the past) knowledge to David and Solomon
to God, Who has favored us above many of His servants who believe:
(3252)
: And they both said: 'Praise be
(27:16) And Solomon was David's heir (3254). He said: 'O ye people! We have been taught the speech (3255) of
Birds, and on us has been bestowed (a little) of all things: This is indeed Grace manifest (from God) (3256).
(27:19) So he [SOLOMON] smiled, amused at her [ANT'S] speech; and he said: 'O my Lord [GOD]! So order me
that I may be grateful for Thy favours, which Thou hast bestowed on me and (3259) on my parents [DAVID AND
BATSHEVA], and that I may work the righteousness that will please Thee (3260): And admit me, by Thy Grace, to
the ranks of Thy Righteous Servants (3261).
(27:20) And he [SOLOMON] took a muster of the Birds; and he said: 'Why is it I see not the Hoopoe? Or is he
among the absentees (3262)?'
(27:34) She [QUEEN OF SHEBA] said: 'Kings, when they
of its people its meanest thus do they behave'.
(3271)
enter a country, despoil it, and make the noblest

They were both just men and apostles of God
(Note 3252, verse 27:15 Ali commentary, page 981) Compare Sura 21:78-82. 'Knowledge' means
such knowledge as leads up to the higher things in life, the Wisdom that was shown in their [DAVID AND
SOLOMON'S] decisions and judgments, and the understanding that enabled them to fulfil their mission in
life. They [DAVID AND SOLOMON] were both just men and apostles of God.
187
(Note 3253, verse 27:15 Ali commentary, page 981) They ascribed, as was proper, their
knowledge, wisdom, and power to the only true Source of all good, God.
Solomon not only inherited his father's kingdom, but his spiritual insight and the prophetic
office
(Note 3254, verse 27:16 Ali commentary, page 981) The point is that Solomon not only inherhited
his father's kingdom, but his spiritual insight and the prophetic office, which do not necessarily go from
father to son.
The wisdom of Solomon and others like him (he speaks of 'we') consisted in understanding
these things in the animal world and in the lower fringes of human intelligence
(Note 3255, verse 27:15 Ali commentary, page 981) 'Speech of birds'. The spoken word in human
speech is different from the means of communication which birds and animals have between each
other. But no man can doubt that they have means of communication with each other, if he only
observes the orderly flight of migratory birds or the regulated behavior of ants, bees, and other
creatures, who live in communities. The wisdom of Solomon and others like him (he speaks of 'we')
consisted in understanding these things in the animal world and in the lower fringes of human
intelligence.
Solomon was a king of power and authority; outside his kingdom he had influence among
many neighbouring peoples
(Note 3256, verse 27:15 Ali commentary, page 981) 'A little of all things'. Solomon was a king of
power and authority; outside his kingdom he had influence among many neighbouring peoples; he had
knowledge of birds, and beasts and plants; he was just and wise, and understood men; and above all,
he had spiritual insight, which brought him near to God. Thus he had something of all kinds of
desirable gifts. And with true gratitude he referred them to God, the Giver of all gifts.
The counterpart to the position of the humble ant is the position of a great king like Solomon
(Note 3259, verse 27:19 Ali commentary, page 982) The counterpart to the position of the humble
ant is the position of a great king like Solomon. He prays that his power and wisdom and all other gifts
may be used for righteousness and for the benefit of all around him. The ant being in his thoughts, we
may suppose that he means particularly in his prayer that he may not even unwittingly tread on
humble beings in his preoccupations with the great things of this world.
188
Solomon prays that he may always take God's Will as his standard, rather than the standards
of men
(Note 3260, verse 27:19 Ali commentary, page 982) The righteousness which pleases the world is
often very different from the righteousness which pleases God. Solomon prays that he may always
take God's Will as his standard, rather than the standards of men.
In the Kingdom of God, righteousness is the badge of citizenship

(Note 3261, verse 27:19 Ali commentary, page 982) In the Kingdom of God, righteousness is the
badge of citizenship. And although there are great and noble grades (see note 586 to Sura 4:69), the
base of that citizenship is the universal brotherhood of righteousness. The greatest in that Kingdom
are glad and proud to pray for that essential badge.
Solomon was no idle or easy-going king. He kept all his organization strictly up to the mark,
both his armies literally and his forces (metaphorically)
(Note 3262, verse 27:20 Ali commentary, page 983) Solomon was no idle or easy-going king. He
kept all his organization strictly up to the mark, both his armies literally and his forces (metaphorically).
His most mobile arm was the Birds, who were light on the wing and flew and saw everything like
efficient scouts. One day he missed the Hoopoe in his muster. The Hoopoe is a light, graceful
creature, with elegant plumage of many colours, and a beautiful yellow crest on his head, which
entitles him to be called a royal bird.
Solomon is not like ordinary kings who conquer by violence

(Note 3271, verse 27:34 Ali commentary, page 985) The character of Queen Bilqis [QUEEN OF SHEBA],
as disclosed here, is that of a ruler enjoying great wealth and dignity, and the full confidence of her
subjects. She does nothing without consulting her Council, and her Council are ready to carry out her
commands in all things. Her people are manly, loyal, and contented, and ready to take the field
against any enemy of their country. But their queen is prudent in policy, and is not willing to embroil
her country in war. She has the discrimination to see that Solomon is not like ordinary kings who
conquer by violence. Perhaps in her heart she has a ray of the divine light already, though her people
are yet Pagans. She wishes to carry her people with her in whatever she does, because she is as
loyal to them as they are to her. An exchange of presents would probably establish better relations
between the two kingdoms [SHEBA AND ISRAEL]. And perhaps she anticipates some spiritual
understanding also, a hope which was afterwards realized. In Bilqis we have a picture of womanhood,
gentle, patient, and able to tame the wilder passions of her subjects. She is like Una in Spencer's
Faerie Queene.
189

Qur'an, Sura Sad (being one of the Abbreviated Letters), 38
Ali Commentary: David and Solomonwere kings as well as prophets
David and Solomonwere kings as well as prophets
(Introduction to Sura 28 Ali commentary, page 1216) This Sura, both in chronology and subjectmatter, is cognate to Sura 37, and carries forward the same argument. But here the emphasis is laid
on the working of earthly power when combined with spiritual power, and it is pointed out how much
more significant (and real) is spiritual power. For this reason the illustrative stories are mainly those of
David and Solomon, who were kings as well as prophets
righteousness has more power than worldly strength, as is seen in the story of kings like
David, who had both
Summary Worldly and evil men are surprised at the renewal of Truth and righteousness; but
righteousness has more power than worldly strength, as is seen in the story of kings like David, who
had both (Sura 38:1-26, and Commentary 200).
Solomon loved the Lord more than worldly power, which may be good but may be misused
by evil men
So also Solomon loved the Lord more than worldly power, which may be good but may be misused by
evil men; so also Job and other men of power and insight choose the path of final bliss rather than
final misery (Sura 38:27-64, and Commentary 200)
David, endowed with worldly Power and the Virtues, had yet to purge himself of the thought
of Self-glory, which he did; and thus he became one of those nearest to God
(Commentary 200 on verses 38:1-26 Ali commentary, page 1216) Self-glory and Separatism, these
are among the roots of Evil, also Envy and Suspicion. Not all the combinations of Evil can for a
moment reverse God's Purpose or His Justice. David, endowed with worldly Power and the Virtues,
had yet to purge himself of the thought of Self-glory, which he did; and thus he became one of those
nearest to God.
190

Qur'an, Sura Sad (being one of the Abbreviated Letters), 38:17-20
Text: remember Our Servant David, the man of strength, for he ever turned (to
God)We strengthened his kingdom and gave him wisdom and sound judgment
in speech and decision
Ali Commentary: David was a man of exceptional strength, for even as a raw
youth, he slew the Philistine giant Goliathhe relied upon God, and won through,
and afterwards became king
remember Our Servant David, the man of strength, for he ever turned (to God)We
strengthened his kingdom and gave him wisdom and sound judgment in speech and decision
(38:17) Have patience at what they say, and remember Our [GOD'S] Servant David, the man of strength
for he ever turned (to God).
(38:18) It was We [GOD] that made the hills declare
break of day,
(4168)
(4167)
in unison with him, our Praises, at eventide and a
(38:19) And the birds gathered (in assemblies): All with him did turn (to God) (4169).
(38:20) We strengthened his kingdom and gave him wisdom and sound judgment
decision.
(4170)
in speech and

David was a man of exceptional strength, for even as a raw youth, he slew the Philistine
giant Goliathhe relied upon God, and won through, and afterwards became king
(Note 4167, verse 38:17 Ali commentary, page 1220) David was a man of exceptional strength, for
even as a raw youth, he slew the Philistine giant Goliath. See Sura 2:249-252, and notes 286-287.
Before that fight, he was mocked by his enemies and chidden even by his own elder brother. But he
relied upon God, and won through, and afterwards became king.
David was given the gift of music and psalmody

(Note 4168, verse 38:18 Ali commentary, page 1221) See note 2733 to Sura 21:79. All nature sings
in unison and celebrates the praises of God. David was given the gift of music and psalmody, and
therefore the hills and birds are expressed as singing God's praises in unison with him. The special
191
hours when the hills and groves echo the songs of birds are in the evening and at dawn, when also
the birds gather together, for those are respectively their roosting hours and the hours of their
concerted flight for the day.
the main theme: 'Turn to God in Prayer and Praise, for that is more than any worldly power or
wisdom'
(Note 4169, verse 38:19 Ali commentary, page 1221) Note the mutual echo between this verse and
verse 17 above. The Arabic awwab is common to both, and it furnishes the rhyme or rhythm of the
greater part of the Sura, thus echoing the main theme: 'Turn to God in Prayer and Praise, for that is
more than any worldly power or wisdom'.
David's sound judgment in decisions, he could also express himself aptly, as his Psalms bear
witness
(Note 4170, verse 38:20 Ali commentary, page 1221) Compare note 2732 to Sura 21:79 for David's
sound judgment in decisions, he could also express himself aptly, as his Psalms bear witness.
192

Qur'an, Sura Sad (being one of the Abbreviated Letters), 38:30
Text: To David We gave Solomon
Ali Commentary: Solomonwas a great king but greater still because he served
God and turned to Him
(Ali translation, pages 1224)
To David We gave Solomon (for a son)
(38:30) To David We [GOD] gave Solomon (for a son)
(to Us)!
(4182)
, how excellent in Our service! Ever did he turn

we are now introduced to Solomon, who was a great king but greater still because he served
God and turned to Him
(Note 4182, verse 38:30 Ali commentary, page 1224) The greatest in this life have yet need of this
spiritual blessing! Without it all worldly good is futile. Referring back to the story of David, we are now
introduced to Solomon, who was a great king but greater still because he served God and turned to
Him
193

Qur'an, Sura A'raf (The Heights), 7:137
Text: We made a people considered weak (and of no account), inheritors of lands
in both East and West, lands whereon We sent down Our blessings
Ali Commentary: Israel, which was despised, became a great and glorious nation
under Solomon. He had goodly territory, and was doubly blest. His land and
people were prosperous, and he was blessed with a wisdom from God
And We made a people considered weak (and of no account), inheritors of lands in both East
and West, lands whereon We sent down Our blessings. The fair promise of thy Lord was fulfilled
for the Children of Israel
(7:137) And We [GOD] made a people [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] considered weak (and of no account), inheritors
of lands in both East and West [EAST AND WEST OF THE THE JORDAN RIVER], lands whereon We sent down Our
blessings. The fair promise of thy [MUHAMMAD'S] Lord [GOD] was fulfilled for the Children of Israel, because
they had patience and constancy, and We leveled to the ground the great Works and fine Building which
Pharaoh and his people [EGYPTIANS] erected (with such pride) (1096).

The men who followed God's message Israel in the time of Solomon (a little after 1000
B.C.) andthe Muslims in the time of Hadhrat 'Umar and his successors became lords of
the East and the West
(Appendix Four Ali commentary, page 406) The men who followed God's message Israel in the
time of Solomon (a little after 1000 B.C.) andthe Muslims in the time of Hadhrat 'Umar and his
successors became lords of the East and the West (Sura 7:137), and ancient Egypt's glories were
eventually buried in the sands.
194
Israel, which was despised, became a great and glorious nation under Solomon. He had
goodly territory, and was doubly blest. His land and people were prosperous, and he was
blessed with a wisdom from God. His sway and his fame spread east and west. And thus
God's promise to Israel was fulfilled. Note that Syria and Palestine had once been under the
sway of Egypt
(Note 1096, verse 7:137 Ali commentary, page 380) Israel, which was despised, became a great
and glorious nation under Solomon. He had goodly territory, and was doubly blest. His land and
people were prosperous, and he was blessed with a wisdom from God. His sway and his fame spread
east and west. And thus God's promise to Israel was fulfilled. Note that Syria and Palestine had once
been under the sway of Egypt. At the same time the proud and rebellious Pharaoh and his people
were brought low. The splendid monuments which they had erected with so much skill and pride were
mingled with the dust. Their great cities Thebes (or NoAmmon), Memphis (or Noph, sacred to the
Bull of Osiris), and the other splendid cities, became as if they had not existed, and archaeologists
have had to dig up their ruins from the sands. The splendid monuments temples, palaces, tombs,
statues, columns, and stately structures of all kinds were buried in the sands. Even monuments like
the Great Sphinx, which seem to defy the ages, were partly buried in the sands, and owe their rescue
to the comparatively recent researches of archaeologists. As late as 1743 Richard Pococke in his
Travels in Egypt (page 41), remarked: 'Most of those pyramids are very much ruined'.
195

Qur'an, Sura Anbiyaa (The Prophets), 21:105
Text: We wrote in the PsalmsMy servantsshall inherit the earth
Ali Commentary: The same promise occurs in the Pentateuch, Exodus 32:13,
'They shall inherit it (the land) for ever'
We wrote in the PsalmsMy servants, the righteous, shall inherit the earth
(21:105) Before this We [GOD] wrote in the Psalms [OF DAVID] (2759), after the Message [TORAH] (GIVEN
MOSES) (2760): My servants, the righteous [AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL], shall inherit the earth [LAND
ISRAEL].
TO
OF

This may be understoodliterally, as referring to power and authority on this earth
(Note 2759, verse 21:105 Ali commentary, page 846) Zabur: The Book of the Psalms of David. The
name of David is expressly mentioned in connection with the Zabur in Sura 4:163 and Sura 17:55,
although there the indefinite article is applied to the word as meaning a Book of Scripture. See Psalm
25:13, 'his [THE RIGHTEOUS OF ISRAEL'S] seed shall inherit the earth [LAND OF ISRAEL]'; Psalm 37:11, 'the meek
[OF ISRAEL] shall inherit the earth [LAND OF ISRAEL]' (quoted by Jesus in Matthew 5:3); and Psalm 37:29,
'the righteous [OF ISRAEL] shall inherit the land [OF ISRAEL]'. They may be understood both literally, as
referring to power and authority on this earth and figuratively as referring to the new and real world of
the spirit.
The same promise occurs in the Pentateuch, Exodus 32:13, 'They shall inherit it (the land)
for ever'
(Note 2760, verse 21:105 Ali commentary, page 846) The same promise occurs in the Pentateuch,
Exodus 32:13, 'They [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] shall inherit it (the land) [OF ISRAEL] for ever' [GOD'S LAND
COVENANT WITH ISRAEL IS AN ETERNAL COVENANT].
196

Text: We had already given the people of Abraham a great kingdom
Ali Commentary: the kingdoms of David and Solomonhad international fame
We had already given the people of Abrahama great kingdom
(4:54) We had already given the people of Abraham [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] the Book [TORAH] and Wisdom and
conferred upon them a great kingdom [KINGDOM OF DAVID and Solomon IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL] (576).

the kingdoms of David and Solomonhad international fame
(Note 576, verse 4:54 Ali commentary, page 197) Such as the kingdoms of David and Solomon, for
they had international fame.
197

Text: the land which We had blessed
Ali Commentary: Palestine, in which was Solomon's capital
Our powermade thewind flow (tamely) for Solomonto the land which We had blessed
(21:81) (It was Our [GOD'S] power that made) the violent (unruly) wind flow (tamely) for Solomon
his order, to the land [LAND OF ISRAEL] (2737) which We [GOD] had blessed: For We do know all things.
(2736)
, to

This has been interpreted to mean that Solomon had miraculous power over the winds, and
he could make them obey his order. Rationalists say that he had naval power on the
Mediterranean, and through the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea and that he therefore
figuratively commanded the winds
(Note 2736, verse 21:81 Ali commentary, page 840) Compare Sura 34:12 and Sura 38:36-38. This
has been interpreted to mean that Solomon had miraculous power over the winds, and he could make
them obey his order. Rationalists say that he had naval power on the Mediterranean, and through the
Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea and that he therefore figuratively commanded the winds, and we may
say the same of airmen at the present day In any case the power behind was, and is, from God, Who
has granted man intelligence and the faculties by which he can tame the more unruly forces of
nature.
Evidently, Palestine, in which was Solomon's capital, though his influence extended far north
in Syria and perhaps far south in Arabia and Ethiopia
(Note 2737, verse 21:81 Ali commentary, page 840) Evidently, Palestine, in which was Solomon's
capital [JERUSALEM], though his influence extended far north in Syria and perhaps far south in Arabia
and Ethiopia. In the Roman ruins of Baalbek, fifty miles north of Damascus, is still shown a quarry of
huge stones supposed to have been cut for Solomon. I have seen them with my own eyes. This local
tradition is interesting even if invented.
198

Qur'an, Sura Dukhan (Smoke or Mist), 44:30-33
Text: We did deliverthe Children of IsraelAnd We chose themabove the
nationsand granted them Signs
Ali Commentary: Israel was delivered, and takento 'a land flowing with milk
and honey', where later they established the glorious kingdom of David and
Solomon
Among the 'Signs' given to Israel were theirprosperous land of Canaan, their
flourishing Kingdom under David and Solomon
We did deliver aforetime the Children of IsraelAnd We chose them aforetime above the
(44:30) We [GOD] did deliver aforetime the Children of Israel from humiliating Punishment (4711),
(44:31) Inflicted by Pharaoh, for he was arrogant (even) among inordinate transgressors.
(44:32) And We chose them [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] aforetime above the nations, knowingly (4712),
(44:33) And granted them Signs (4713), in which there was a manifest trial.

The Israelites were held in bondage prior to the Exodus. Their hard taskmaster placed every
indignity on them
(Note 4711, verse 44:30 Ali commentary, page 1349) The Israelites were held in bondage prior to
the Exodus. Their hard taskmaster placed every indignity on them, and by Pharaoh's decree their
male children were to be killed, and their females were to be kept alive for the Egyptians.
From degrading servitude, Israel was delivered, and taken, in spite of many rebellions and
backslidings on the way, to 'a land flowing with milk and honey', where later they established
the glorious kingdom of David and Solomon
(Note 4712, verse 44:32 Ali commentary, page 1349) From degrading servitude, Israel was
delivered, and taken, in spite of many rebellions and backslidings on the way, to 'a land flowing with
milk and honey', where later they established the glorious kingdom of David and Solomon. This was
199
not merely fortuitous. In God's presence it was to be a link in furthering His Plan. But their being
chosen did not mean that they could do what they liked. In that sense there is no 'chosen race' before
God. But God gives every race and every individual a chance, and when the race or individual fails to
live up to it, he or it must fall and give place to others.
gAmong the 'Signs' given to Israel were their own Revelation under Moses, their prosperous
land of Canaan, their flourishing Kingdom under David and Solomon, their prophets and
teachers of Truth
(Note 4713, verse 44:33 Ali commentary, page 1349) Among the 'Signs' given to Israel were their
own Revelation under Moses, their prosperous land of Canaan, their flourishing Kingdom under David
and Solomon, their prophets and teachers of Truth, and the advent of Jesus to reclaim the lost ones
among them. And these were trials. When they failed the trials, they were left to wander desolate and
suffer.
200

Qur'an, Sura Jathiya (Bowing the Knee), 45:16
Text: We didaforetime grant to the Children of Israelthe Power of Command
Ali Commentary: Israel hadthe power of judgment and command through the
Kingdom of David and Solomon
We did aforetime grant to the Children of Israelthe Power of Command
(45:16) We [GOD] did aforetime grant to the Children (4752) of Israel the Book [TORAH], the Power of
Command [KINGDOM OF DAVID and Solomon IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL], and Prophethood; We gave them, for
Sustenance, things (4753) good and pure; and We favored them above the nations.

Israel hadthe power of judgment and command through the Kingdom of David and
Solomon
(Note 4752, verse 45:16 Ali commentary, page 1358) The argument here is similar to that in Sura
44:32-33, but it is more particular here. Israel had the Revelation given through Moses, the power of
judgment and command through the Kingdom of David and Solomon, and numerous prophetic
warnings through such men as Isaiah and Jeremiah.
Israel became the standard-bearer of God's law, thus 'favoured above the nations'
(Note 4753, verse 45:16 Ali commentary, page 1358) 'Sustenance', here as else where, is to be
understood both in a physical and metaphorical sense. The Mosaic Law laid down rules of diet,
excluding things unclean, and it laid down rules for a pure and honourable life. In this way Israel
became the standard-bearer of God's law, thus 'favoured above the nations'.
201

Exile from the Land of Israel
Text: They were covered with humiliation and misery; they drew on themselves
the wrath of God
Ali Commentary: They got the Promised Land. But they continued to rebel
against GodThey were scattered all over the earth and have been a wandering
people ever since.But the moral goes wider than the Children of Israel. It
applies to all nations and individuals
They were covered with humiliation and misery; they drew on themselves the wrath of God
(2:61) And remember ye [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] said: 'O Moses! We cannot endure one kind of food (always);
so beseech thy Lord for us to produce for us of what the earth groweth, its pot-herbs, and cucumbers, its
garlic, lentils, and onions'. He [MOSES] said: 'Will ye exchange the better for the worse? Go ye down to any
town, and ye shall find what ye want!' They were covered with humiliation (75) and misery; they drew on
themselves the wrath of God. This because they went on rejecting the Signs of God and slaying His Apostles
without just cause. This because they rebelled and went on transgressing.

They got the Promised Land. But they continued to rebel against GodThey were scattered
all over the earth and have been a wandering people ever since 1
(Note 75, verse 2:61 Ali commentary, page 33) From here the argument becomes more general.
They [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] got the Promised Land [LAND OF ISRAEL]. But they continued to rebel against
God. And their humiliation and misery became a national disaster. They were carried into captivity to
Assyria. They were restored under the Persians, but still remained under the Persian yoke, and they
were under the yoke of the Greeks, the Romans and Arabs. They were scattered all over the earth,
and have been a wandering people ever since, because they rejected faith, slew God's messengers
and went on transgressing.
a wandering people ever since'. Professor Ali wrote these words in 1938, one year before the outbreak of World War Two
on September 1, 1939 and the ensuing Nazi German Jewish Holocaust of 1939-1945; ten years before the reestablishment of
a Jewish State in the Land of Israel on May 14, 1948; and twenty nine years before the liberation of Jerusalem, Judea,
Samaria, Gaza, Sinai and the Golan Heights by the armies of the State of Israel during the Six Day War of June 5-10, 1967.
202
But the moral goes wider than the Children of Israel. It applies to all nations and individuals
.But the moral goes wider than the Children of Israel. It applies to all nations and all individuals. If
they are stiff-necked, if they set a greater value on perishable goods than on freedom and eternal
salvation, if they break the Law of God and resist His grace, their portion must be humiliation and
misery in the spiritual world and probably even on this earth if a long view is taken.
203

Exile from the Land of Israel
Text: We broke them up into sections on this earth
Ali Commentary: The dispersal of the Jews is a great fact in the world's history
(7:168)
Israelwas found unworthy, and in course of time the Arabs, whom they
despised as Ishmaelites, became their masters Nor had the Arabs or Turks or
any nation a perpetual lease of power from God. The test is righteousness
(7:137)
Thy Lord did declare that He would send against them, to the Day of Judgment, those who
would afflict them with grievous penaltyWe broke them up into sections of this earth
(7:167) Behold! Thy Lord [GOD] did declare (1140) that He would send against them [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL], to
the Day of Judgment, those who would afflict them with grievous penalty. Thy Lord is quick in retribution,
but He is also Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
(7:168) We [GOD] broke them [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] up into sections on this earth (1141). There are among them
some that are the righteous, and some that are the opposite. We have tried them with both prosperity and
adversity: In order that they might turn (to Us).

See Deuteronomy 11:28: 'A curse if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your
God
(Note 1140, verse 7:167 Ali commentary, page 392) See Deuteronomy 11:28: 'A curse if ye will not
obey the commandments of the Lord your God but turn aside out of the way which I command you this
day': Also Deuteronomy 28:49: 'The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from afar, from the end of
the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth: A nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand', and many
other passages.
The dispersal of the Jews is a great fact in the world's history

(Note 1141, verse 7:168 Ali commentary, page 392) The dispersal of the Jews is a great fact in the
world's history. Nor has their persecution ended yet, nor is it likely to end as far as we can see.
204
Additional Abdullah Yusuf Ali Commentaries

the greatness of Israel was conditional; they were to be judged by their deeds. When they fell
from grace, other people were given honor and power
(Note 1087, verse 7:129 Ali commentary, page 377) the greatness of Israel was conditional; they
were to be judged by their deeds. When they fell from grace, other people were given honor and
power. And so it came to be the turn of the Arab race, and so on. God gives His gifts to those who are
righteous and obey His Law.
Israel also was found unworthy, and in course of time the Arabs, whom they despised as
Ishmaelites, became their masters Nor had the Arabs or Turks or any nation a perpetual
lease of power from God. The test is righteousness
(Note 1096, verse 7:137 Ali commentary, page 380) The contrast between Egypt and Israel is one
part of the story in the march of time. Israel also was found unworthy, and in course of time the Arabs,
whom they despised as Ishmaelites, became their masters. The Jews in their Ghettos in Europe
suffered much persecution. Nor are they out of the woods yet. If the Pogroms of the Slavs against
them have ceased, their fate in Nazi Germany is the talk of the world. Nor had the Arabs or Turks or
any nation a perpetual lease of power from God. The test is righteousness and the Muslim virtues
taught in the Universal Religion of faith and right conduct.
the enemies of God and the enemies of Israel (Sura 20:39) were the very ones who were
used as instruments for the purposes of God
(Appendix Four Ali commentary, page 407) in God's Plan the enemies of God and the enemies of
Israel (Sura 20:39) were the very ones who were used as instruments for the purposes of God and the
salvation of Israel.
how God will unfold His All-Wise Plan it is not given to us mortals to know
(Appendix Five Ali commentary, page 413) What the course of future religion may be and how God
will unfold His All-Wise Plan it is not given to us mortals to know.
the application is universal, and was true to the 'Abbasi Empire in the time of Harun-arRashid, or the Muslim Empire in Spain or the Turkish Empire in its palmiest days, and indeed,
apart from political power, to the Muslims and non-Muslims in our own days
(Note 1401, verse 10:14 Ali commentary, page 487) This ('Then We made you heirs in the land
after them, to see how ye would behave') is addressed to the Quraish in the first instance, for they had
succeeded to the 'Ad and the Thamud heritage. But the application is universal, and was true to the
'Abbasi Empire in the time of Harun-ar-Rashid, or the Muslim Empire in Spain or the Turkish Empire in
205
its palmiest days, and indeed, apart from political power, to the Muslims and non-Muslims in our own
days.
Within a century and a half of his death the Muslim world was engulfed in a mighty cataclysm
which well-nigh wiped out its channels of culture and civilisation
(Appendix Eight Ali commentary, page 920) Gazali died in A.H. 505 (= 1111 A.D.). He lived in an
age when Greek philosophy and other philosophies had been studied by Muslims, many new arts and
sciences had been added by them to the world's stock of knowledge, but the quest of the Timeless
and the Universal was still urging thirsty enquiries on. It was his mission to expose the hollow
pretensions of some superficial thinkers who pursued mirages. He turned Muslim thoughts in the
direction of the subtler Realities of spiritual life. Within a century and a half of his death the Muslim
world was engulfed in a mighty cataclysm which well-nigh wiped out its channels of culture and
civilisation.
Let not any one who is granted worldly power or advantage run away with the notion that it is
permanent. It is definitely limited in the high Purpose of God, which is just and true
(Note 3513, verse 30:8, page 1052) Compare Sura 15:85. Here the argument is about the ebb and
flow of worldly power, and the next clause is appropriately added, 'and for a term appointed'. Let not
any one who is granted worldly power or advantage run away with the notion that it is permanent. It is
definitely limited in the high Purpose of God, which is just and true. And an account will have to be
given of it afterwards on the basis of strict personal responsibility.
The custodians of the Qur'an after the holy Apostle were the People of Islam. They were
chosen for the Book, not in any narrow sense, but in the sense that the Book was given for
their age and they were charged to obey it and preserve it and propagate it, so that all
mankind should receive the Message. But it does not follow that they are all true and faithful
to their charge, as indeed we see too painfully around us today
(Note 3920, verse 35:32, page 1162) The custodians of the Qur'an after the holy Apostle were the
People of Islam. They were chosen for the Book, not in any narrow sense, but in the sense that the
Book was given for their age and they were charged to obey it and preserve it and propagate it, so
that all mankind should receive the Message. But it does not follow that they are all true and faithful to
their charge, as indeed we see too painfully around us today. Just as mankind was chosen collectively
to be Viceregents and yet some among mankind fell into evil even so, some in the house of Islam
fail to follow the Light given to them, and thus 'wrong their own souls'.
Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus in A.D. 70 and the Jews have been scattered ever since
(Note 5448, verse 61:14, page 1543) Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus in A.D. 70 and the Jews
have been scattered ever since. 'The Wandering Jew' has become a bye-word in many literatures.
206
God's Law is always the same. Sin or corruption prepares its own destruction If our
generations, which pride themselves on their science and skill, desert God's Law, they will be
certain to meet the same fate
(Note 5870, verse 77:16, page 1665) God's Law is always the same. Sin or corruption prepares its
own destruction. It was so with the generation of Noah. In Arab tradition it was so with the 'Ad and
Thamud. In our own day we see relics of prehistoric civilisations, in Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Indus
Valley and the Aegean: These were men of wonderful skill and resource, but they went under. If our
generations, which pride themselves on their science and skill, desert God's Law, they will be certain
to meet the same fate.
207

and Return to the Land of Israel
Qur'an, Al Baqarah (The Heifer), 2:259
Text: look further at the bones, how We bring them together and clothe them
with flesh
Ali Commentary: Ezekiel's vision of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-10).I thinkdoes
refer not only to individual, but to national death and resurrection
And that We may make of thee a sign unto the people, look further at the bones, how We bring
them together and clothe them with flesh
(2:259) Or take the similitude of one [EZEKIEL, Nehemiah, Ezra] who passed by a hamlet [JERUSALEM], all in
ruin (304) to its roots. He [EZEKIEL, NEHEMIAH, EZRA] said: 'Oh! How shall God bring it [JERUSALEM]' (ever) to life,
after (this) its death?' But God caused him [EZEKIEL, NEHEMIAH, EZRA] to die for a hundred years, then raised
him [EZEKIEL, NEHEMIAH, EZRA] up (again). He [GOD] said: 'How long didst thou tarry thus?' He [EZEKIEL,
NEHEMIAH, EZRA] said: '(Perhaps) a day or part of a day'. He [GOD] said: 'Nay, thou [EZEKIEL, NEHEMIAH, EZRA]
hast tarried thus a hundred years; but look at thy food and thy drink; they show no signs of age; and look at
thy donkey: And that We may make of thee [EZEKIEL] a sign unto the people [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL], look further
at the bones [DRY BONES OF THE LOST TEN TRIBES OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL], how We bring them together and clothe
them with flesh' (305). When this was shown clearly to him [EZEKIEL], he said: 'I know that God hath power over
all things'.

This incident is referred variouslyto Ezekiel's vision of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-10) to
Nehemiah's visit to Jerusalem in ruins after the Captivity, and to its re-building (Nehemiah
1:12-20)and to 'Uzair, or Ezra, or Esdras, the scribe, priest, and reformer, who was sent by
the Persian King after the Captivity to Jerusalem, and about whom there are many Jewish
legends.I think it does refer not only to individual, but to national death and resurrection
(Note 304, verse 2:259 Ali commentary, page 105) This incident is referred [BY SEVERAL MUSLIM
QUR'ANIC COMMENTATORS] variously: (1) to Ezekiel's vision of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-10); (2) to
Nehemiah's visit to Jerusalem in ruins after the Captivity, and to its re-building (Nehemiah 1:12-20);
and (3) to 'Uzair, or Ezra, or Esdras, the scribe, priest, and reformer, who was sent by the Persian
King after the Captivity to Jerusalem, and about whom there are many Jewish legends. As to (1), there
are only four words in this verse about bones. As to (2) and (3), there is nothing specific to connect
this verse with either. The wording is perfectly general, and we must understand it as general. I think it
does refer not only to individual, but to national death and resurrection.
208
God can cause resurrection, as He has done many times in history, and as He will do at
the Final Resurrectionbefore man's eyes the bones are reunited, clothed with flesh and
blood, and restored to life
(Note 305, verse 2:259 Ali commentary, page 105) A man is in despair when he sees the
destruction of a whole people, city, or civilisation. But God can cause resurrection, as He has done
many times in history, and as He will do at the Final Resurrection. Time is nothing before God. The
doubter thinks he is dead or has 'tarried thus' a day or less when the period has been a century. On
the other hand, the food and drink which he left behind is intact, and as fresh as it was when he left it.
But the donkey is not only dead, but nothing but bones is left of it. And before the man's [EZEKIEL'S]
eyes the bones [DRY BONES OF THE LOST TEN TRIBES OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL] are reunited, clothed with flesh
and blood, and restored to life. Moral: (1) Time is nothing to God; (2) It affects different things in
different ways; (3) The keys of life and death are in God's hands; (4) Man's power is nothing; his faith
should be in God.
209

and Return to the Land of Israel
Qur'an, Bani Isra-il (The Children of Israel), 17:104
Text: We said thereafter to the Children of Israel, 'Dwell securely in the land (of
promise)': But when the second of the warnings came to pass, We gathered you
together in a mingled crowd
Ali Commentary: Some Commentators understand the second warning to be the
Day of Judgment, the Promise of the Hereafter
when the second of the warnings came to pass, We gathered you together in a mingled crowd
(17:104) And We [GOD] said thereafter to the Children of Israel, 'Dwell securely in the land (2313) (of
promise) [LAND OF ISRAEL]': But when the second of the warnings came to pass, We gathered you together [AT
(2314)
THE END OF DAYS, IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL] in a mingled crowd [REUNITED TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL]
.

The Israelites were taken to the Promised Land in Palestine, and they established their own
kingdom there
(Note 2313, verse 17:104 Ali commentary, page 724) The Israelites were taken to the Promised
Land in Palestine, and they established their own kingdom [KINGDOM OF DAVID AND SOLOMON] there, but
they forfeited God's favour by their sins and backslidings and will have to answer like all souls by the
law of personal responsibility at the Day of Judgment.
Some Commentators understand the second warning to be the Day of Judgment, the
Promise of the Hereafter
(Note 2314, verse 17:104 Ali commentary, page 724) The 'second of the warnings': The first was
probably that mentioned above, in Sura 17:5, and the second that mentioned in Sura 17:7 (middle).
When this second warning due to the rejection of Jesus came to pass, the Jews were gathered
together in a mingled crowd, and they have never had a Jewish nationality since. Some
Commentators understand the second warning to be the Day of Judgment, the Promise of the
Hereafter.
210

Gog and Magog attempt to conquer the Land of Israel from the returning Children
of Israel
Qur'an, Sura Kahf (The Cave), 18:94, 18:98-101
Text: The Gog and Magog (people) do great mischief on earth.When the
promise of my Lord comes to pass.The Trumpet will be blown, and We shall
collect them all together
Ali Commentary: Those very men who refused to see the many Signs of God
will then see without any mistake the consequences fully brought up before them
They said: 'O Zul Quarnain! The Gog and Magog (people) do great mischief on earth'
(18:94) They said: 'O Zul Quarnain! The Gog and Magog (people) do great mischief on earth: Shall we
then render thee tribute in order that thou mightest erect a barrier between us and them?
when the promise of my Lord comes to pass

(18:98) He [ZUL-QARNAIN] said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord [GOD] (2444): But when the promise of my Lord
comes to pass, He [GOD] will make it into dust; and the promise of my Lord is true'.
The Trumpet will be blown, and We shall collect them all together
(18:99) On that day We [GOD] shall leave them [GOG AND MAGOG] to surge like waves on one another (2445):
The Trumpet will be blown, and We shall collect them [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] all together [IN THE LAND OF
ISRAEL]'.
(18:100) And We shall present hell that day for unbelievers to see, all spread out (2446),
(18:101) (Unbelievers) whose eyes had been under a veil from Remembrance of Me, and who had been
unable even to hear (2447).
211

Take human precautions and do all in your power to protect yourselves from evil. But no
protection is complete unless you seek the help and grace of God
(Note 2444, verse 18:98 Ali commentary, page 757) After all the effort which Zul-Qarnain has made
for their1 protection, he claims no credit for himself beyond that of discharging his duty as a ruler. He
turns their attention to God, Who has provided the ways and means by which they can be helped and
protected. But all such human precautions are apt to become futile. The time must come when they
will crumble into dust. God has said so in His Revelation; and His word is true. And so the spiritual
lesson from the third episode is: Take human precautions and do all in your power to protect
yourselves from evil. But no protection is complete unless you seek the help and grace of God. The
best of our precautions must crumble to dust when the appointed Day arrives.
And so we pass on to the last days before the Great Summons comes from God. All human
barriers will be swept away.The Trumpet will be blown, and the Judgment will be set on
foot
(Note 2445, verse 18:99 Ali commentary, page 757) And so we pass on to the last days before the
Great Summons comes from God. All human barriers will be swept away. There will be tumultuous
rushes. The Trumpet will be blown, and the Judgment will be set on foot.
their eyes will be opened now, and they will see the terrible Reality
(Note 2446, verse 18:100 Ali commentary, page 757) If men had scoffed at faith and the hereafter,
their eyes will be opened now, and they will see the terrible Reality.
Those very men who refused to see the many Signs of God will then see without any
mistake the consequences fully brought up before them
(Note 2447, verse 18:101 Ali commentary, page 757) Those very men who refused to see the many
Signs of God which in this world convey His Message and to hear the Word of the Lord when it came
to them, will then see without any mistake the consequences fully brought up before them.
Some of the Lost Ten Tribes of the Children of Israel, probably the Pathans in the mountains of what is today Pakistan and
Afghanistan.
212

of Israel
Text: there is a ban on any population which We have destroyed: That they shall
not return
Ali Commentary: Moseshis people survived to the time of our Prophet and
survive to the present
there is a ban on any population which We have destroyed
(21:95) But there is a ban on any population which We [GOD] have destroyed: That they
return [TO THEIR HOMELANDS]
(2752)
shall not

those destroyed will not get another chance, as they flouted all previous chances. They will
only be raised at the approach of the Day of Judgment
(Note 2752, verse 21:95 Ali commentary, page 844) But when wickedness comes to such a pass
that the Wrath of God descends, as it did on Sodom, the case becomes hopeless. The righteous were
warned and delivered before the Wrath descended. But those destroyed will not get another chance,
as they flouted all previous chances. They will only be raised at the approach of the Day of Judgment.
Additonal Abdullah Yusuf Ali Commentary:

Every People or generation gets a chance, when their term is fulfilled, the final adjustment is
made
(Note 1441, verse 10:49 Ali commentary, page 497) sin is not necessarily punished at once:
Every People or generation gets a chance, when their term is fulfilled, the final adjustment is made.
Verse 10:49: To every People is a term appointed: When their term is reached, not an hour can they
cause delay, nor (an hour) can they advance (it in anticipation).
213
hundreds of empires, towns, and generations have perished for their wickedness
(Note 2194, verse 17:17 Ali commentary, page 698) Noah's Flood is taken as a new starting point
in history. But even after that hundreds of empires, towns, and generations have perished for their
wickedness.
Verse 17:17: How many generations have We destroyed after Noah?
God is merciful and just. He does not destroy or degrade a people until they have had full
opportunities of turning in repentance to Him and they have deliberately rejected His Law and
continued in the practice of iniquity
(Note 3390, verse 28:58 Ali commentary, page 1018) A life of ease and plenty is nothing to boast
about. Yet peoples or cities or civilisations grow insolently proud of such things. There were many
such in the past, which are now mere names! Their very sties are deserted in most cases, or buried in
the debris of ages. India is full of such sites nearly everywhere. The sites of Harappa and Mohenjo
Daro are the most ancient hitherto unearthed in India, and they are themselves in layers covering
centuries of time! And how many more there may be, of which we do not know even names! FatehpurSikri was a magnificent ruin within a single generation. And there are thousands of Qasbas once
flourishing and now reduced to small villages or altogether deserted. But God is merciful and just. He
does not destroy or degrade a people until they have had full opportunities of turning in repentance to
Him and they have deliberately rejected His Law and continued in the practice of iniquity.
Verse 28:58: And how many populations We destroyed, which exulted in their life (of ease and
plenty)! Now those habitations of theirs, after them, are deserted, all but a (miserable) few! And We
are their heirs!
Moseshis people survived to the time of our Prophet and survive to the present
(Note 2820, verses 22:42-44 Ali commentary, page 863) The case of Moses is mentioned apart, as
his people survived to the time of our Prophet and survive to the present
Verses 22:42-44: (42) If they treat thy (mission) as false, so did the Peoples before them (with their
Prophets), the People of Noah, and Aad and Thamud; (43) Those of Abraham and Lut; (44) And the
Companions of the Madyan people; and Moses was rejected in the same way. But I granted respite to
the Unbelievers, and (only) after that did I punish them: But how (terrible) was my rejection (of them)!
214

of Israel
Qur'an, Sura Anbiyaa (The Prophets), 21:96-97
Text: the Gog and Magog (people)swiftly swarm from every hill. Then will the
True Promise draw nigh (of fulfillment)
Ali Commentary: Gog and Magog.The name stands for wild and lawless tribes
who will break their barriers and swarm through the earth
the Gog and Magog (people) are let through (their barrier), and they swiftly swarm from every
hill. Then will the True Promise draw nigh (of fulfillment)
(21:96) Until the Gog and Magog (people) (2753) are let through (their barrier), and they swiftly swarm from
every hill.
(21:97) Then will the True Promise [OF THE RETURN OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL AT THE END
OF DAYS] draw nigh (of fulfillment): Then behold! The eyes of the Unbelievers [WHO DENIED GOD'S ETERNAL
COVENANTS WITH ISRAEL] will (2754) fixedly stare in horror: 'Ah! Woe to us! We were indeed heedless of this; nay;
we truly did wrong!

Gog and Magog.The name stands for wild and lawless tribes who will break their barriers
and swarm through the earth
(Note 2753, verse 21:96 Ali commentary, page 844) For Gog and Magog see note 2439 to Sura
18:92. Their geographical position was discussed in Appendix 7, pages 761-763. Here I do not think
we are concerned with geographical position. The name stands for wild and lawless tribes who will
break their barriers and swarm through the earth. This will be one of the prognostications of the
approaching Judgment.
215
216
Section Three
Chapter Two
God's Torah Covenant with the Children of Israel
217
Index of Verses
Section Three, Chapter Two, The Torah Covenant
3.2.7 Sura Ta Ha (The Mystic Letters), 20:80, page 229
3.2.8 Sura Mu-minum (The Believers), 23:17-20, page 231
3.2.9 Sura Tur (The Mount), 52:1-9, page 232
3.2.10 Sura Tin (The Fig), 95:1-6, page 235
3.2.13 Sura Ali-i-Imran (The Family of Imran), 3:3, page 240
3.2.20 Sura Maida (The Table Spread), 5:20, page 247
218
3.2.21 Sura Maida (The Table Spread), 5:43, page 248

3.2.22 Sura Maida (The Table), 5:44, page 249
3.2.24 Sura Maida (The Table), 5:65-66, page 253
3.2.25 Sura Maida (The Table), 5:68-69, page 254
3.2.27 Sura An'am (Cattle), 6:91, page 256
3.2.31 Sura A'raf (The Heights), 7:150, 154, page 261
3.2.32 Sura A'rat (The Heights), 7:168-169, page 263
3.2.33 Sura Tauba (Repentance), 9:111, page 264
3.2.34 Sura Hud (The Prophet Hud), 11:17, page 266
3.2.35 Sura Hud (The Prophet Hud), 11:110, page 267
3.2.36 Sura Bani Isra'il (The Children of Israel), 17:2, page 268
3.2.38 Sura Hajj (The Pilgrimage), 22:17, page 270
3.2.39 Sura Mu-minun (The Believers), 23:49, page 272
3.2.40 Sura Furqan (The Criterion), 25:35, page 273
3.2.42 Sura Ankabut (The Spider), 29:27, page 276
219
3.2.43 Sura Ankabut (The Spider), 29:46, page 277

3.2.44 Sura Sada (Adoration), 32:23, page 279
3.2.46 Sura Mu-mim (The Believer) 40:53-55, page 282
3.2.47 Sura Ha-Mim Sajda (The Abbreviated Letters), 41:45, page 284
3.2.48 Sura Dukhan (Smoke), 44:30-33, page 285
3.2.49 Sura Jathiya (Bowing the Knee), 45:16-17, page 287
3.2.50 Sura Ahqaf (Winding Sand-tracts), 46:12, page 289
3.2.51 Sura Ahqaf (Winding Sand-tracts), 46:29-30, page 290
3.2.52 Sura Fat-h (Victory), 48:29, page 291
3.2.53 Sura Najm (The Star), 53:36-37, page 293
3.2.54 Sura Hadid (Iron), 57:26, page 294
3.2.55 Sura Saff (Battle Array), 61:6, page 295
3.2.56 Sura Jumu'a (The Assembly [Friday] Prayer), 62:5, page 296
3.2.57 Sura A'la (The Most High), 87:14-19, page 297
220
3.2.1 God's Torah Covenant with the Children of Israel

Mount Sinai
Qur'an, Al Baqarah (The Heifer), 2:63
Text: We raised above you (the towering height) of Mount (Sinai)
Ali Commentary: The Mountain of Sinai (Tur-u-Sinin), a prominent mountain in
the Arabian desert, in the peninsula between the two arms of the Red Sea. Here
the Ten Commandments and the Law were given to Moses
We took your Covenant and We raised above you (the towering height) of Mount (Sinai)
(2:63) And remember We [GOD] took your [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL's] Covenant and We raised above you (the
towering height) of Mount (Sinai) (78) (saying): 'Hold firmly to what We [TORAH] have given you and bring
(ever) to remembrance what is therein: Perchance ye may fear God.

The Mountain of Sinai (Tur-u-Sinin), a prominent mountain in the Arabian desert, in the
peninsula between the two arms of the Red Sea. Here the Ten Commandments and the Law
were given to Moses. Hence it is now called the Mountain of Moses (Jabal Musa). The
Israelites encamped at the foot of it for nearly a year
(Jabal Musa). The Israelites encamped at the foot of it for nearly a year . The Covenant was taken from
Additional Abdullah Yusuf Ali Commentary:

This was after the Ten Commandments and the Laws and Ordinances had been given on
Mount Sinai
(Note 66, verse 2:51 Ali commentary, page 29) This was after the Ten Commandments and the
Laws and Ordinances had been given on Mount Sinai. Moses was asked up into the Mount, and he
was there forty days and forty nights: Exodus 24:18. But the people got impatient of the delay, made a
calf of melted gold, and offered worship and sacrifice to it: Exodus 32:1-8.
221
Verse 2:51: And remember We [GOD] appointed forty nights for Moses and in his absence ye took the
calf (for worship) and ye did grievous wrong.
222

Mount Sinai
Text: We took your Covenant and We raised above you (the towering height) of
Mount (Sinai)
Ali Commentary: the Commandments and the Law had been given at Mount
Sinai, and the people had solemnly given their Covenant
We took your Covenant and We raised above you (the towering height) of Mount (Sinai)
Mount (Sinai): (Saying): 'Hold firmly to what We have given you [THE LAND OF ISRAEL] and hearken (to the
Law)(99).

the Commandments and the Law had been given at Mount Sinai, and the people had
solemnly given their Covenant
(Note 99, verse 2:93 Ali commentary, page 42) After the Commandments and the Law had been
given at Mount Sinai, and the people had solemnly given their Covenant, Moses went up to the
Mount
223

Mount Sinai
Text: And for their Covenant We raised over them (the towering height) of Mount
(Sinai)
Ali Commentary: In this verse there is a recapitulation ofthe Covenant under
the towering height of Sinai
And for their Covenant We raised over them (the towering height) of Mount (Sinai)
(4:154) And for their [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL's] Covenant We [GOD] raised over them (the towering height) of
Mount (Sinai) (658), and (on another occasion) We said: 'Enter the gate with humility'; and (once again) We
commanded them: 'Transgress not in the matter of the Sabbath'. And We took from them a solemn
Covenant.

In this verse there is a recapitulation ofthe Covenant under the towering height of Sinai
(Note 658, verse 4:154 Ali commentary, page 229) In this verse there is a recapitulation ofthe
Covenant under the towering height of Sinai. Sura 2:63.
224

Mount Sinai
Text: God said: 'By no means canst thou see Me (direct); but look upon the
Mount; if it abide in its place, then shalt thou see Me'
Ali Commentary: the mission to his people was to begin after the Covenant of
Sinai
God said: 'By no means canst thou see Me (direct); but look upon the Mount; if it abide in its
place, then shalt thou see Me'. When his Lord manifested His glory on the Mount, He made it as
dust, and Moses fell down in a swoon
(7:142) We [GOD] appointed for Moses thirty nights, and completed (the period) with ten (more): Thus was
completed the term (of communion) with his Lord (1100), forty nights. And Moses had charged his brother
Aaron (before he went up): 'Act for me amongst my people: Do right, and follow not the way of those who do
mischief' (1101).
(7:143) When Moses came to the place appointed by Us [GOD], and his Lord addressed him, he said: 'O my
Lord! Show (Thyself) to me, that I may look upon Thee' (1102). God said: 'By no means canst thou see Me
(direct); but look upon the Mount [SINAI]; if it abide in its place, then shalt thou see Me' (1103). When his Lord
manifested His glory on the Mount [SINAI], He made it as dust, and Moses fell down in a swoon. When he
recovered his senses, he said: 'Glory be to Thee! To Thee I turn in repentance, and I am the first to believe'
(1104)
.

There is much mystic doctrine in this section and the parallel between Israel and Islam
continues throughout. The forty nights' communion of Moses with God on the Mount may be
compared with the forty days fast of Jesus in the wilderness before he took up his ministry
(Matthew 4:2) and with the forty years of Mustafa's preparation in life before he took up his
ministry
(Note 1100, verse 7:142 Ali commentary, page 381) There is much mystic doctrine in this section
and the parallel between Israel and Islam continues throughout. The forty nights' communion of Moses
with God on the Mount [SINAI] may be compared with the forty days fast of Jesus in the wilderness
before he took up his ministry (Matthew 4:2) and with the forty years of Mustafa's [MUHAMMAD'S]
preparation in life before he took up his ministry. In each case, the Apostles lived alone apart from
their people, before they came into the full blaz of the events of their Ministry. The forty is divided into
225
thirty and ten pre-figuring the thirty days of the Ramadhan fast, and the ten days of the Hajj pilgrimage
in Islam.
When for any reason the man of God is absent from his people, his duty of leadership
(khilafat) should be taken up by his brother, not necessarily a blood-brother, but one of his
society or brotherhood
(Note 1101, verse 7:143 Ali commentary, page 382) When for any reason the man of God is absent
from his people, his duty of leadership (khilafat) should be taken up by his brother, not necessarily a
blood-brother, but one of his society or brotherhood. The deputy should discharge it in all humility,
remembering three things: (1) That he is only a deputy, and bound to follow the directions of his
Principal; (2) That right and justice are the essence of power; and (3) That mischief gets its best
chance to raise its head in the absence of the Principal, and that the deputy should always guard
against the traps laid for him in the Principal's absence.
the mission to his people was to begin after the Covenant of Sinai
(Note 1102, verse 7:143 Ali commentary, page 382) Even the best of us may be betrayed into
overweening confidence of spiritual ambition not yet justified by the stage we have reached. Moses
had already seen part of the glory of God in his Radiant White Hand, that shone with the glory of
Divine light (Sura 7:108, note 1076). But he was still in the flesh, and the mission to his people was to
begin after the Covenant of Sinai. It was premature of him to ask to see God.
Even the reflected glory of God is too great for the grosser substance of matter. The peak on
which it shone became as powder before the ineffable glory, and Moses could only live by
being taken out of his bodily senses
(Note 1103, verse 7:143 Ali commentary, page 382) But God the Cherisher of all His creatures
treats even our foolish requests with mercy, compassion, and understanding. Even the reflected glory
of God is too great for the grosser substance of matter. The peak on which it shone became as
powder before the ineffable glory, and Moses could only live by being taken out of his bodily senses.
When he recovered from his swoon, he saw the true position, and the distance between our grosser
bodily senses and the true splendour of God's glory. He at once turned in penitence to God, and
confessed his faith. Having been blinded by the excessive Glory, he could not see with the physical
eye. But he could get a glimpse of the reality through faith and he hastened to proclaim his faith.
'First' means here not the first in time, but most zealous in faith
(Note 1104, verse 7:143 Ali commentary, page 382) 'First to believe'. Compare the expression 'first
of those who bow to God in Islam' in Sura 6:14 and Sura 6:163. 'First' means here not the first in time,
but most zealous in faith. It has the intensive and not the comparative meaning.
226

Mount Sinai
Text: When We shook the Mount over them(We said): 'Hold firmly to what We
have given you'
Ali Commentary: the Book of Revelation
When We shook the Mount over them, as if it had been a canopy, and they thought it was going
to fall on them (We said): 'Hold firmly to what We have given you
(7:170) As to those [FROM THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] who hold fast by the Book [TORAH] and establish regular
Prayer, never shall We [GOD] suffer the reward of the righteous [AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] to perish.
(7:171) When We [GOD] shook the Mount [SINAI] over them [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL], as if it had been a canopy,
and they thought it was going to fall on them (We said): 'Hold firmly (1144) to what [TORAH] We have given you,
and bring (ever) to remember what is therein (1145), perchance ye may fear God'.

(Note 1144, verse 7:171 Ali commentary, page 393) Compare Sura 2:63 and note.
the Book of Revelation

(Note 1145, verse 7:171 Ali commentary, page 393) 'Therein' = in the Book of Revelation, in 'what
We have given you'.
227

Mount Sinai
Qur'an, Sura Maryam (Mary), 19:51-53
Text: And We called him from the right side of Mount (Sinai)
Ali Commentary: Moses wasespecially chosenin order that he might free his
people from Egyptian bondage
And We called him from the right side of Mount (Sinai), and made him draw near to Us for
mystic (converse)
(19:51) Also mention in the Book (the story of) Moses: For he was specially chosen, and he was an apostle
(and) a prophet (2503).
(19:52) And We [GOD] called him from the right side
for mystic (converse).
(2504)
of Mount (Sinai), and made him draw near to Us
(19:53) And, out of Our Mercy (2505), We gave him his brother Aaron, (also) a prophet.

Moses was (1) Especially chosen, and therefore prepared and instructed in all the wisdom of
the Egyptians, in order that he might free his people from Egyptian bondage
(Note 2503, verse 19:51 Ali commentary, page 778) Moses was (1) Especially chosen, and
therefore prepared and instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, in order that he might free his
people from Egyptian bondage; there may also be a reference to Moses' title of Kalimullah, the one to
whom God spoke without the intervention of angels but behind a cloud: See Sura 4:164, note 670; (2)
He was a prophet (nabi), in that he received inspiration; and, (3) He was an apostle (rasul) in that he
had a Book of Revelation, and an Ummat or organised Community, for which he instituted laws.
The 'right side' of the mountain may mean that Moses heard the voice from the right side of
the mountain as he faced it, or it may have the figurative meaning of 'right' in Arabic, i.e., the
side which was blessed or sacred ground
(Note 2504, verse 19:52 Ali commentary, page 778) The incident here, I think, refers to the
incidents described more fully in Sura 20:9-36; a reference may also be made to Exodus 3:1-18 and
4:1-17. There is a great deal of mystic meaning. The time is when Moses (with his family) was
traveling and grazing the flocks of his father-in-law Jethro, just before he got his commission from
God. The place is somewhere near Mount Sinai (Jabal Musa). Moses sees a fire in the distance, but
228
when he goes there, he hears a voice that tells him it is sacred ground. God asked him to put off his
shoes and to draw near, and when he went near, great mysteries were revealed to him. He was given
his commission, and his brother Aaron was given to him to go with him and aid him. It is after that, that
he and Aaron went and faced Pharaoh in Egypt, as narrated in Sura 7:103-144, etc. The 'right side' of
the mountain may mean that Moses heard the voice from the right side of the mountain as he faced it,
or it may have the figurative meaning of 'right' in Arabic, i.e., the side which was blessed or sacred
ground.
Moses wasreluctant to go to Pharaohand he asked that his brother Aaron should be

associated with him in his mission. God in His Mercy granted his request
(Note 2505, verse 19:53 Ali commentary, page 778 Moses was diffident, and reluctant to go to
Pharaoh, as he had an impediment in his tongue, and he asked that his brother Aaron should be
associated with him in his mission. God in His Mercy granted his request; Sura 20:25-36.
229

Mount Sinai
Qur'an, Sura TaHa (Mystic Letters, T.H.), 20:80
Text: Children of Israel! We delivered you from your enemy, and We made a
Covenant with you on the right side of Mount (Sinai)
Ali Commentary: The Arabian side of Sinai (Jabal Musa) was the place where
Moses first received his commission before going to Egypt, and also where he
received the Law after the Exodus from Egypt
O ye Children of Israel! We delivered you from your enemy,and We made a Covenant with you
on the right side of Mount (Sinai)
(20:80) O ye Children of Israel! We [GOD] delivered you from your enemy [PHARAOH AND THE EGYPTIANS], and
We made a Covenant with you on the right side of (2601) Mount (Sinai), and We sent down to you Manna and
quails:
(20:81) (Saying): 'Eat of the good (2602) things We have provided for your sustenance, but commit no excess
therein, lest My Wrath should justly descend on you: And those on whom descends My Wrath do perish
indeed!' (2603)
(20:82) 'But, without doubt, I am (also) He that forgives again and again, to those who repent, believe, and
do right, who in fine, are ready to receive true guidance'.

The Arabian side of Sinai (Jabal Musa) was the place where Moses first received his
commission before going to Egypt, and also where he received the Law after the Exodus from
Egypt
(Note 2601, verse 20:80 Ali commentary, page 806) 'Right side'. Compare Sura 19:52, and note
2504, towards the end. The Arabian side of Sinai (Jabal Musa) was the place where Moses first
received his commission before going to Egypt, and also where he received the Law after the Exodus
from Egypt.
230
'God has looked after you and saved you. He has given you ethical and spiritual guidance.
Enjoy the fruits of all this, but do not become puffed up and rebellious'
(Note 2602, verse 20:81 Ali commentary, page 806) Compare Sura 2:57 and note 71; and Sura
7:160. I should like to construe this not only literally but also metaphorically. 'God has looked after you
and saved you. He has given you ethical and spiritual guidance. Enjoy the fruits of all this, but do not
become puffed up and rebellious (another meaning of the root Taga); otherwise the Wrath of God is
sure to descend on you'.
This gives the key-note to Moses' constant tussle with his own people
(Note 2603, verse 20:81 Ali commentary, page 806) This gives the key-note to Moses' constant
tussle with his own people, and introduces immediately afterwards the incident of the golden calf.
231

Mount Sinai
Qur'an, Sura Mu-minun (The Believers), 23:17-20
Text: a tree springing out of Mount Sinai which produces oil
Ali Commentary: For Arabia the best olives grow around Mount SinaiOlive oil is
an ingredient inointments used forthe consecration of kings
a tree springing out of Mount Sinai, which produces oil, and relish for those who use it for
food
(23:17) And We [GOD] have made, above you, seven tracts, and We are never unmindful of (Our) creation.
(23:18) And We send down water from the sky according to (due) measure, and We cause it to soak in the
soil; and We certainly are able to drain it off (with ease).
(23:19) With it We grow for you Gardens of date-palms, and vines: In them have ye abundant fruits: And of
them ye eat (and have enjoyment),
(23:20) Also a tree springing out of Mount Sinai (2880), which produces oil, and relish for those who use it for
food.

For Arabia the best olives grow around Mount Sinai. The fig, the olive, Mount Sinai, and the
sacred city of Mecca are mentioned together in association in Sura 95:1-3, where we shall
consider its mystic meaning. Olive oil is an ingredient in medicinal ointments, and in ointments
used for religious ceremonies such as the consecration of kings
(Note 2880, verse 23:20 Ali commentary, page 877) For Arabia the best olives grow around Mount
Sinai. The fig, the olive, Mount Sinai, and the sacred city of Mecca are mentioned together in
association in Sura 95:1-3, where we shall consider its mystic meaning. Olive oil is an ingredient in
medicinal ointments, and in ointments used for religious ceremonies such as the consecration of
kings. It has thus a symbolic meaning. If used for food, the olive has a delicious flavour. Compare also
Sura 24:35, where the olive is called a Blessed Tree, and in note 3000.
232

Mount Sinai
Qur'an, Sura Tur (The Mount), 52:1-9
Text: By the Mount (of Revelation)
Ali Commentary: The Mount is the sublime world of Revelation. In the case of
Moses it is typified by Mount Sinai
By the Mount (of Revelation)
(52:1) By the Mount (of Revelation) (5037);
(52:2) By a Decree Inscribed (5038)
(52:3) In a Scroll unfolded;
(52:4) By the much-frequented Fane (5039);
(52:5) By the Canopy Raised High (5040);
(52:6) And by the Ocean (5041) filled with Swell (5042);
(52:7) Verily, the Doom of thy Lord will indeed come to pass;
(52:8) There is none can avert it;
(52:9) On the Day when (5043) the firmament will be in dreadful commotion.
(52:10) And the mountains will fly hither and thither (5044).

the certainty of future events is asserted in the most emphatic termsthe coming of
judgment and the passing away of this phenomenal worldthe future ill consequences of illdeeds doneand future attainment of bliss and complete realization of God's love and
mercy
(Note 5037, verse 52:1 Ali commentary, page 1432) The adjuration is by five things which we shall
presently explain. An appeal is made to these five Signs in verses 1 to 6, and the certainty of future
events is asserted in the most emphatic terms in verses 7 to 28, in three parts, viz., the coming of
judgment and the passing away of this phenomenal world (verses 7-10); the future ill consequences of
ill-deeds done (verses 11-16); and future attainment of bliss and complete realization of God's love
and mercy (verses 17-28).
233
The Mount is the sublime world of Revelation. In the case of Moses it is typified by Mount
Sinai
(Note 5038, verse 52:2 Ali commentary, page 1432) See last note. The five signs to which appeal is
made are: (1) The Mount (of Revelation), verse 1; (2) The Book Inscribed, verse 2-3; (3) The Muchfrequented fane, verse 4; (4) The Canopy Raised High, verse 5; and (5) The Ocean filled with Swell,
verse 6.
Let us examine these in detail. Each of them has a figurative and a mystic meaning. (1) The Mount is
the sublime world of Revelation. In the case of Moses it is typified by Mount Sinai: Compare Sura
95:2, where it is mentioned in juxtaposition to the sacred territory of Makkah, Sura 95:3. In the case of
Jesus it is the Mount of Olives: Compare Sura 95:1, and also Matthew 24:3-51, where Jesus made his
striking pronouncement about the Judgment to come. In the case of Muhammad it is the Mountain of
Light, where the divine inspiration made him one with the spiritual world. Compare Commentary, Sura
31 and note 11. (2) The Decree Inscribed is God's Eternal Decree. When it becomes Revelation to
man, it is figured forth as something 'inscribed', reduced to writing; and as it is made clear to the
intelligence of man, it is further described as 'in a scroll unfolded', that is, spread out so that everyone
who has the will can seek its guidance.
'The much-frequented Fane' or (House)may be taken generally to mean any Temple or

House of Worship dedicated to the true God. It would then include the Tabernacle of the
Israelites in the wilderness, the Temple of Solomon, the Temple in which Jesus worshipped
(Note 5039, verse 52:4 Ali commentary, page 1432) See the last two notes. (3) 'The muchfrequented Fane' or (House) is usually understood to mean the Ka'ba, but in view of the parallelism
noted in the last note it may be taken generally to mean any Temple or House of Worship dedicated to
the true God. It would then include the Tabernacle of the Israelites in the wilderness, the Temple of
Solomon [FIRST ISRAELITE TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM], the Temple in which Jesus worshipped [SECOND ISRAELITE
TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM] and the Ka'ba which the holy Prophet purified and re-dedicated to true worship.
These would be only illustrations. Other concrete places of worship would be included, and in a more
abstract meaning the heart of man, which craves with burning desire to find and worship God. The
Fane is 'much-frequented' as there is a universal desire in the heart of man to worship God and his
sacred Temples draw large crowds of devotees.
'The Canopy Raised High' isNature's Temple, in which all Creation worships God
(Note 5040, verse 52:5 Ali commentary, page 1432) 'The Canopy Raised High' is the canopy of
heaven, to whose height or sublimity no limit can be assigned by the mind of man. It is Nature's
Temple, in which all Creation worships God, the Symbol in which the material and the visible merges
into the spiritual and the intuitional.
234
The Ocean the vast, limitless, all encircling Ocean is the material Symbol of the universal
unlimited, comprehensive nature of the invisible Spiritual world
(Note 5041, verse 52:6 Ali commentary, page 1433) (5) The Ocean the vast, limitless, all
encircling Ocean is the material Symbol of the universal unlimited, comprehensive nature of the
invisible Spiritual world. It is expressed to be masjur, full of a might swell, boiling over, poured forth all
over the earth, as if overwhelming all landmarks; Compare Sura 81:6; a fitting description of the final
disappearance of our temporal world in the supreme establishment of the Reality behind it.
This completes the five Signs or Symbols by which man may know for certain of the
Judgment to come
(Note 5042, verse 52:6 Ali commentary, page 1433) This completes the five Signs or Symbols by
which man may know for certain of the Judgment to come. Note that they are in a descending order;
the highest, or most remote from man's consciousness, being mentioned first, and that nearest to
man's consciousness being mentioned last. The truth of Revelation; its embodiment in a Prophet's
Message given in human language; the universal appeal of divine worship; the starry world above;
and the encircling Ocean, full of life and motion below, all are evidences that the Day of God will finally
come, and nothing can avert it.
In Sufi interpretation, each of these Symbols further typifies an aspect of the final Preacher of Unity:
The Mount signifying his tremendous Personality: The Decree inscribed in a Scroll Unfolded the
perspicuous Qur'an: The much-frequented Fane his heart open to every living creation: The Canopy
Raised on High, his spiritual eminence and the swelling Ocean the vast sea of his living knowledge.
The heavens as we see them suggest to us peace and tranquility, and the power of fixed
laws which all the heavenly bodies obey. This will all be shaken in the rise of the new world
(Note 5043, verse 52:9 Ali commentary, page 1433) The Day of Judgment is typified by two figures.
(1) 'The firmament will be in dreadful commotion'. The heavens as we see them suggest to us peace
and tranquility, and the power of fixed laws which all the heavenly bodies obey. This will all be shaken
in the rise of the new world. Compare Matthew 24:29: 'Immediately after the tribulation of those
daysthe powers of the heavens shall be shaken'.
things that we think of as firm and stable in this material life will be shaken to pieces, and will
be no more substantial than a mirage in the desert
(Note 5044, verse 52:10 Ali commentary, page 1433) The mountains are a type of firmness and
stability. But things that we think of as firm and stable in this material life will be shaken to pieces, and
will be no more substantial than a mirage in the desert. Compare Sura 78:20.
235

Mount Sinai
Qur'an, Sura Tin (The Fig), 95:1-6
Text: By theMount of Sinai
Ali Commentary: This was the Mountain on which the Law was given to Moses
The Law was given, and the glory of God was made visible
By the Fig and the Olive and the Mount of Sinai
(95:1) By the Fig
(6194)
and the Olive (6195),
(95:2) And the Mount of Sinai (6196),

(95:3) And this City (6197) of security (6198),
(95:4) We [GOD] have indeed created man in the best of moulds (6199),
(95:5) Then do We abase him (to be) the lowest of the low (6200),
(95:6) Except such as believe and do righteous deeds: For they shall have a reward unfailing.

The substantive proposition is in verses 4-8, and it is clinched by an appeal to four sacred
symbols, viz., the Fig, the Olive, Mount Sinai, and the sacred City of Makkah. About the
precise interpretation of the first two symbols, and especially of the symbol of the Fig, there is
much difference of opinion
(Note 6194, verse 95:1 Ali commentary, page 1758) The substantive proposition is in verses 4-8,
and it is clinched by an appeal to four sacred symbols, viz., the Fig, the Olive, Mount Sinai, and the
sacred City of Makkah. About the precise interpretation of the first two symbols, and especially of the
symbol of the Fig, there is much difference of opinion. If we take the Fig literally to refer to the fruit of
the tree, it can stand as a symbol of man's destiny in many ways. Under cultivation it can be one of the
finest, most delicious, and most wholesome fruits in existence: In its wild state, it is nothing but tiny
seeds, and is insipid, and often full of worms and maggots. So man at his best has a noble destiny: At
his worst, he is 'the lowest of the low'. Christ is said to have cursed a fig tree for having only leaves,
and not producing fruit (Matthew 21:18-20), enforcing the same lesson. There is also a parable of the
fig tree in Matthew 24:32-35. See also the parable of the good and evil figs in Jeremiah 24:1-10. But
see note 6198 below.
236
it is possible that the Olive here refers to the Mount of Olives, just outside the walls of the
City of Jerusalem
(Note 6195, verse 95:1 Ali commentary, page 1758) For the sacred symbolism of the Olive, see
note 2880 to sura 23:20, and notes 3000-3002 to Sura 24:35, where the parable of God's Light
includes a reference to the Olive. But it is possible that the Olive here refers to the Mount of Olives,
just outside the walls of the City of Jerusalem (see note 5038, to Sura 3:2), for this is the scene in the
Gospel story (Matthew 24:3-4) of Christ's description of the Judgment to come.
This was the Mountain on which the Law was given to Moses.The Law was given, and the
glory of God was made visible
(Note 6196, verse 95:2 Ali commentary, page 1758) This was the Mountain on which the Law was
given to Moses. See Sura 19:52, and note 2504. The Law was given, and the glory of God was made
visible. But did Israeli faithfully obey the Law thereafter?
'This City of security' is undoubtedly Makkah. Even in Pagan times its sacred character was
respected, and no fighting was allowed in its territory
(Note 6197, verse 95:3 Ali commentary, page 1758) 'This City of security' is undoubtedly Makkah.
Even in Pagan times its sacred character was respected, and no fighting was allowed in its territory.
But the same City, with all its sacred associations, persecuted the greatest of the Prophets and gave
itself up for a time to idolatry and sin, thus presenting the contrast of the best and the worst.
Having discussed the four symbols in detail, let us consider them together. It is clear that
they refer to God's Light or Revelation, which offers man the highest destiny if he will follow
the Way. Makkah stands for Islam, Sinai for Israel, and the Mount of Olives for Christ's
original and pure Message. It has been suggested that the Fig stands for the Ficus Indica, the
Bo Tree, under which Gautama Buddha obtained Nirvana. I hesitate to adopt the suggestion,
but if accepted it would cover pristine Buddhism and the ancient Vedic religions from which it
was an offshoot. In this way all the great religions of the world would be indicated
(Note 6198, verse 95:3 Ali commentary, page 1758) Having discussed the four symbols in detail, let
us consider them together. It is clear that they refer to God's Light or Revelation, which offers man the
highest destiny if he will follow the Way. Makkah stands for Islam, Sinai for Israel, and the Mount of
Olives for Christ's original and pure Message. It has been suggested that the Fig stands for the Ficus
Indica, the Bo Tree, under which Gautama Buddha obtained Nirvana. I hestitate to adopt the
suggestion, but if accepted it would cover pristine Buddhism and the ancient Vedic religions from
which it was an offshoot. In this way all the great religions of the world would be indicated. But even if
we refer the Fig and the Olive to the symbolism in their fruit and not to any particular religion the
contrast of Best and Worst in man's destiny remains and that is the main thing.
237
There is no fault in God's creation. To man God gave the purest and best nature, and man's
duty is to preserve the pattern on which God has made himBut by making him viceregent,
God exalted him in posse even higher than the angels, for the angels had to make obeisance
to him
(Note 6199, verse 95:4 Ali commentary, page 1759) Taqwim: Mould, form, nature, constitution.
There is no fault in God's creation. To man God gave the purest and best nature, and man's duty is to
preserve the pattern on which God has made him: Sura 30:30. But by making him viceregent, God
exalted him in posse even higher than the angels, for the angels had to make obeisance to him (Sura
2:30-34, and note 48). But man's position as viceregent also gives him will and discretion, and if he
uses them wrongly he falls even lower than the beasts.
If man rebels against God, and follows after evil, he will be abased to the lowest possible
position. For Judgment is sure. Those who use their faculties aright and follow God's Law will
reach the high and noble destiny intended for them
(Note 6200, verse 95:5 Ali commentary, page 1759) This verse should be read with the next. If man
rebels against God, and follows after evil, he will be abased to the lowest possible position. For
Judgment is sure. Those who use their faculties aright and follow God's Law will reach the high and
noble destiny intended for them. That reward will not be temporary, but unfailing.
238

Text: And remember We gave Moses the Scripture and the Criterion
Ali Commentary: God's revelation, the expression of God's Will, is the true
standard of right and wrong. It may be in a Book or in God's dealings in history
And remember We gave Moses the Scripture and the Criterion (between right and wrong)
(2:53) And remember We [GOD] gave Moses the Scripture [WRITTEN TORAH] and the Criterion [ORAL TORAH
(68)
(between right and wrong), there was a chance for you to be guided aright.

God's revelation, the expression of God's Will, is the true standard of right and wrong. It may
be in a Book or in God's dealings in history. All these may be called His Signs or Miracles
(Note 68, verse 2:53 Ali commentary, page 29) God's revelation, the expression of God's Will, is the
true standard of right and wrong. It may be in a Book or in God's dealings in history. All these may be
called His Signs or Miracles. In this passage some commentators take the Scripture and the Criterion
(Furqan) to be identical. Others take them to be two distinct things: Scripture being the written Book
and the Criterion being other Signs. I agree with the latter view. The word Furqan also occurs in Sura
21:48 in connection with Moses and Aaron, and in the first verse of Sura 25, as well as in its title, in
connection with Muhammad. As Aaron received no Book, Furqan must mean the other Signs.
239

Text: We gave Moses the Book
We gave Moses the Book
(2:87) We [GOD] gave Moses the Book [TORAH] and followed him [Moses] up with a succession of
Messengers (89).

(Note 89a, verse 2:87 Ali commentary, page 40) The word 'apostle' is used here and throughout the
Translation in the literal sense of 'One Sent' and not in a specialized sense.
240

Qur'an, Sura Ali-i-Imran (The Family of Imran), 3:3
Text: He sent down the Law (of Moses)as a guide to mankind
He sent down the Law (of Moses)as a guide to mankind, and He sent down the Criterion (of
judgment between right and wrong)
(3:1) Alif Lam Mim (342).
(3:2) God! There is no god but He, the Living, the Self-Subsisting, Eternal (343).
(3:3) It is He Who sent down to thee [MUHAMMAD] (step by step), in truth, the Book [QUR'AN], confirming
what [TORAH] went down before it; and He sent down the Law (of Moses) [WRITTEN TORAH] and the Gospel (344)
(of Jesus) before this, as a guide to mankind, and He sent down the Criterion [ORAL TORAH] (345) (of judgment
between right and wrong).

(Note 342, verse 3:1 Ali commentary, page 122) See note to Sura 2:1.
(Note 344, verse 3:3 Ali commentary, page 122) In some editions the break between verses 3 and
4 occurs here in the middle of the sentence, but in the edition of Hafiz Uthman, followed by the
Egyptian Concordance Fath-ur-Rahman, the break occurs at the word Furqan. In verse divisions our
classicists have mainly followed rhythm. As the word Furqan from this point of view is parallel to the
word Intiqam, which ends the next verse. I have accepted the verse-division at Furqan as more in
consonance with qur'anic rhythm. It makes no real difference to the numbering of our verses, as there
is only a question of whether one line should go into verse 3 or verse 4.
(Note 345, verse 3:3 Ali commentary, page 122) 'Criterion': Furqan: For meaning see Sura 2:53,
note 68.
241

Text: God will teach him the Law
God will teach himthe Law
(3:48) And God will teach him [JESUS] the Book and Wisdom, the Law [TORAH] and the Gospel.
242

Text: Why dispute ye about Abraham when the Law and the Gospel were not
revealed till after him?
People of the Book! Why dispute ye about Abraham when the Law and the Gospel were not
revealed till after him?
(3:65) Ye People of the Book [JEWS AND CHRISTIANS]! Why dispute ye about Abraham [WHO BELIEVED IN GOD AND
FOLLOWED THE NOAHIDE COVENANT AND LAWS] , when the Law [TORAH] and the Gospel were not revealed till after
him? Have ye no understanding?
243

Text: We believe in(the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the Prophets
Say: 'We believe in God, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to
Abraham, Isma'il; Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and
the Prophets, from their Lord'
(3:84) Say: 'We [MUSLIMS] believe in God, and in what [QUR'AN] has been revealed to us and what [NOAHIDE
COVENANT AND LAWS] was revealed to Abraham, Isma'il; Isaac, Jacob [ISRAEL], and the Tribes [TWELVE TRIBES OF
JACOB (ISRAEL)], and in (the Books) [TORAH, PROPHETIC BOOKS OF THE BIBLE, AND THE GOSPEL] given to Moses,
Jesus, and the Prophets, from their Lord [GOD]: We make no distinction between one and another among
them, and to God do we bow our will (in Islam) [SUBMISSION TO GOD]'.
244

Text: All food was lawful to the Children of Israel except what Israel made
unlawful for itself, before the Law (of Moses) was revealed
Ali Commentary: The Arabs ate the flesh of the camel, which is lawful in Islam,
but it was prohibited by the Jewish Law of Moses (Leviticus 11:4)
All food was lawful to the Children of Israel except what Israel made unlawful for itself, before
the Law (of Moses) was revealed
(3:93) All food was lawful to the Children of Israel [ACCORDING TO THE NOAHIDE COVENANT AND LAWS] except
what Israel (420) made unlawful for itself [GENESIS 32:33] (1), before the Law (of Moses) [TORAH] was revealed.
Say [MUSLIMS SHOULD SAY]: 'Bring ye [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] the Law [TORAH] and study it, if ye be men of truth.

The Arabs ate the flesh of the camel, which is lawful in Islam, but it was prohibited by the
Jewish Law of Moses (Leviticus 11:4)Before it was promulgated, Israel was free to choose
its own food
(Note 420, verse 3:93 Ali commentary, page 147) The Arabs ate the flesh of the camel, which is
lawful in Islam, but it was prohibited by the Jewish Law of Moses (Leviticus 11:4)Before it [TORAH]
was promulgated, Israel was free to choose its own food [ACCORDING TO THE NOAHIDE COVENANT AND LAWS]. I
take 'Israel' here to stand for the people of Israel [AS A WHOLE, INSTEAD OF REFERRING ONLY TO JACOB (ISRAEL)
AS AN INDIVIDUAL].
245

Text: God took a Covenant from the People of the Book, to make it known and
clear to mankind
Ali Commentary: God's Message comes to any man or nation as a matter of
sacred trust. It should be broadcast and published and taught and made clear to
all within reach
And remember God took a Covenant from the People of the Book, to make it known and clear to
mankind and not to hide it
(3:187) And remember God took a Covenant from the People of the Book (494) [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL], to make
it [TORAH] known and clear to mankind and not to hide it; but they [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] threw it [TORAH] away
behind their backs and purchased with it some miserable gain! And vile was the bargain they made!

Truth God's Message comes to any man or nation as a matter of sacred trust. It should
be broadcast and published and taught and made clear to all within reach. Privileged
priesthood at once erects a barrier
(Note 494, verse 3:187 Ali commentary, page 172) Truth God's Message comes to any man or
nation as a matter of sacred trust. It should be broadcast and published and taught and made clear to
all within reach. Privileged priesthood at once erects a barrier. But worse, when such priesthood
tampers with the truth, taking what suits it and ignoring the rest, it has sold God's gift for a miserable
ephemeral profit; how miserable, it will learn when Nemesis comes.
246

Text: We had already given the people of Abraham the Book
We had already given the people of Abraham the Book and Wisdom
(4:54) We [GOD] had already given the people of Abraham [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] the Book [TORAH] and
Wisdom, and conferred upon them a great kingdom [KINGDOM OF DAVID and Solomon IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL]
(576)
.

Such as the kingdom of David and Solomon
(Note 576, verse 4:54 Ali commentary, page 197) Such as the kingdom of David and Solomon, for
they had international fame.
247

Qur'an, Sura Maida (The Table Spread), 5:20
Text: Godgave you what He had not given to any other among the peoples
Ali Commentary: Israel was chosen to be the vehicle of God's message, the
highest honor which any nation can receive
Remember Moses said to his people: 'O my People! Call in remembrance the favour of God
unto you, when Hegave you what He had not given to any other among the peoples'
(5:20) Remember Moses said to his people [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL]: 'O my People! Call in remembrance the
favour of God unto you, when He produced prophets among you (721), made you kings (722), and gave you what
[TORAH] He had not given to any other among the peoples' (723).

There was a long line of patriarchs and prophets before Moses
(Note 721, verse 5:20 Ali commentary, page 248) There was a long line of patriarchs and prophets
before Moses, e.g., Abraham, Isaac, Isma'il, Jacob, etc..
From the slavery of Egypt the Children of Israel were made free and independent
(Note 722, verse 5:20 Ali commentary, page 248) From the slavery of Egypt the Children of Israel
were made free and independent, and thus each man became as it were a king, if only he had obeyed
God and followed the lead of Moses.
Israel was chosen to be the vehicle of God's message, the highest honor which any nation
can receive
(Note 723, verse 5:20 Ali commentary, page 248) Compare Exodus 19:5: 'Now, therefore, if ye will
obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all
people'. Israel was chosen to be the vehicle of God's message, the highest honor which any nation
can receive.
248

Text: they have (their own) law
they have (their own) law before them
(5:43) they have (their own) law [TORAH] before themTherein is the (plain) command of God.
249

Qur'an, Sura Maida (The Table), 5:44
Text: It was We who revealed the Law (to Moses); therein was guidance and
light. By its standard have been judged the Jews, by the Prophets who bowed (as
in Islam) to God's Will, by the Rabbis and the Doctors of Law
Ali Commentary: Rabbani may, I think, be rightly translated by the Jewish title of
Rabbi for their learned men They were living witnesses to the truth of Scripture
It was We who revealed the Law (to Moses); therein was guidance and light. By its standard
have been judged the Jews, by the Prophets who bowed (as in Islam) to God's Will, by the Rabbis
and the Doctors of Lawto them was entrusted the protection of God's Book
(5:44) It was We [GOD] who revealed the Law (to Moses); therein was guidance and light (750). By its
standard have been judged the Jews, by the Prophets who bowed (as in Islam) to God's Will, by the Rabbis
(751)
and the Doctors of Law: For to them was entrusted the protection of God's Book, and they were witnesses
thereto (752).

(Note 750, verse 5:44 Ali commentary, page 256) 'Guidance', with reference to conduct; 'light', with
reference to insight into the higher realms of the spirit.
Rabbani may, I think, be rightly translated by the Jewish title of Rabbi for their learned men.
Jewish learning is identified with Rabbinical literature. Ahbar is the plural of hibr or habr, by
which we may understand Jewish Doctors of Law
(Note 751, verse 5:44 Ali commentary, page 256) Rabbani may, I think, be rightly translated by the
Jewish title of Rabbi for their learned men. Jewish learning is identified with Rabbinical literature.
Ahbar is the plural of hibr or habr, by which we may understand Jewish Doctors of Law . Later the term
was applied to those of other religions. Query: Is the word connected with the same root as 'Hebrew',
or 'Eber' (Genesis 10:21), the ancestor of the Hebrew race? This seems negated by the fact that the
Arabic root connected with the word 'Hebrew' is Abar, not Habar.
250
They were living witnesses to the truth of Scripture

(Note 752, verse 5:44 Ali commentary, page 257) They [PROPHETS, RABBIS, DOCTORS OF THE LAW] were
living witnesses to the truth of Scripture, and could testify that they had made it known to the people
[CHILDREN OF ISRAEL]: Compare Sura 2:143, and Sura 4:135.
251

Text: To each among you have We prescribed a Law
Ali Commentary: Law': shir'at = rules of practical conduct
To each among you have We prescribed a Law and an Open Way
(5:48) To each among you [MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS, JEWS] have We prescribed a Law [QUR'AN, GOSPEL, TORAH]
and an Open Way (760). If God had so willed, He would have made you (761) a single People, but (His plan is)
to test you in what he hath given you: So strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to God; it is
He that will show you the truth of the matters in which ye dispute (762).

'Law': shir'at = rules of practical conduct. 'Open way': Minhaj = The finer things which are
above the law, but which are yet available to everyone, like a sort of open highway
(Note 760, verse 5:48 Ali commentary, page 258) 'Law': shir'at = rules of practical conduct. 'Open
way': Minhaj = The finer things which are above the law, but which are yet available to everyone, like a
sort of open highway. The light in verses 47 and 49 above, I understand to be something in the still
higher regions of the spirit, which is common to mankind, though laws and rules may take different
forms among different Peoples.
By origin mankind was a single people or nation

(Note 761, verse 5:48 Ali commentary, page 258) By origin mankind was a single people or nation:
Sura 4:1 and Sura 2:213. That being so, God could have kept us all alike, with one language, one kind
of disposition, and one set of physical conditions (including climate) to live in. But in His wisdom, He
gives us diversity in these things, not only at any given time, but in different periods and ages. This
tests our capacity for Unity (Wahdaniyat) still more, and accentuates the need of Unity and Islam
[SUBMISSION TO GOD].
252
Einstein is right in plumbing the depths of Relativity in the world of physical science. It points
more and more to the need of Unity in God in the spiritual world
(Note 762, verse 5:48 Ali commentary, page 259) As our true goal is God, the things that seem
different to us from different points of view, will ultimately be reconciled in Him. Einstein is right in
plumbing the depths of Relativity in the world of physical science. It points more and more to the need
of Unity in God in the spiritual world.
253

Text: If only the People of the Book hadstood fast by the Law
If only the People of the Book had believed and been righteousIf only they had stood fast by
the Law
(5:65) If only the People of the Book [JEWS AND CHRISTIANS] had believed [IN GOD] and been righteous
[OBSERVED HIS COMMANDMENTS], We [GOD] should indeed have blotted out their iniquities and admitted them to
Gardens of Bliss.
(5:66) If only they [JEWS AND CHRISTIANS] had stood fast by the Law [TORAH], the Gospel, and all the
revelation that was sent to them from their Lord, they would have enjoyed happiness from every side (776).
There is from among them [JEWS AND CHRISTIANS] a party on the right course: But many of them follow a
course that is evil.

The literal translation of the two lines would be: 'They would have eaten from above them
and from below their feet'
(Note 776, verse 5:66 Ali commentary, page 264) The literal translation of the two lines would be:
'They would have eaten from above them and from below their feet'. To eat (akala) is a very
comprehensive word, and denotes enjoyment generally, physical, social, mental and moral, and
spiritual. 'To eat what is forbidden' in verses 65 and 66 referred to taking unlawful profit, from usury or
trust funds or in other ways. Here 'eating' would seem to mean receiving satisfaction or happiness in
ordinary life as well as in the spiritual world. 'From above them' may refer to heavenly or spiritual
satisfaction, and 'from below their feet' to earthly satisfaction. But it is better to take the words as a
general idiom, and understand 'satisfaction or happiness from every side'.
254

Text: O People of the Book!stand fast by the Law'those who follow the
Jewish (scriptures)who believe in God and the Last Day, and work
righteousness, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve
Ali Commentary: As God's Message is one, Islam recognizes true faith in other
forms
Say: 'O People of the Book! Ye have no ground to stand upon unless ye stand fast by the Law'
those who follow the Jewish (scriptures)who believe in God and the Last Day, and work
righteousness, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve
(5:68) Say: 'O People of the Book [JEWS AND CHRISTIANS]! Ye have no ground to stand upon unless ye stand
fast by the Law [TORAH], the Gospel and all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord'.
(5:69) Those who believe (in the Qur'an) [MUSLIMS], those who follow the Jewish (scriptures) [JEWS], and the
Sabians and the Christians, any who believe in God and the Last Day, and work righteousness (779), on them
shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

As God's Message is one, Islam recognizes true faith in other forms, provided that it be
sincere, supported by reason, and backed up by righteous conduct
(Note 779, verse 5:69 Ali commentary, page 265) Compare Sura 2:62. As God's Message is one,
Islam recognizes true faith in other forms, provided that it be sincere, supported by reason, and
backed up by righteous conduct. Note 76 (on verse 2:62, page 33) explains who the Sabians were.
255

Text: I taught theethe Law
Behold! I taught theethe Law
(5:110) Behold! I [GOD] taught thee [JESUS] the Book and Wisdom (818), the Law [TORAH] and the Gospel.

256

Qur'an, Sura An'am (Cattle), 6:91
Text: the Book which Moses broughtA light and guidance to man
Ali Commentary: Here Lightis put first as the question is: Does God send
inspiration?
Who then sent down the Book which Moses brought?
(6:91) Say: 'Who then sent down the Book [TORAH] which Moses brought? A light and guidance to man
(910)
.

Here Light (for spiritual insight) is put first as the question is: Does God send inspiration?
(Note 910, verse 6:91 Ali commentary, page 314) Compare Sura 5:47 and note 750, and Sura 5:49.
In those passages Guidance (in practical conduct) is put before Light (or spiritual insight), as they refer
to ordinary or average men. Here Light (for spiritual insight) is put first as the question is: Does God
send inspiration?
257

Text: For those who followed the Jewish Law, We forbade every (animal) with
undivided hoof
For those who followed the Jewish Law, We forbade every (animal) with undivided hoof, and
We forbade them the fat of the ox and the sheep
(6:146) For those [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] who followed the Jewish Law [TORAH], We [GOD] forbade every
(animal) with undivided hoof (970), and We forbade them the fat of the ox (971) and the sheep, except what
adheres to their backs or their entrails, or is mixed up with a bone.

In the Jewish Law (Leviticus 11:3-6), 'Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and
cheweth the cud, among the beasts' was lawful as food, but the camel, the coney (rabbit),
and the hare were not lawful, because they do not 'divide the hoof'. 'Undivided hoof' therefore
is the correct interpretation. These three animals, unlawful to the Jews, are lawful in Islam
(Note 970, verse 6:146 Ali commentary, page 333) Zufur may mean claw or hoof, it is in the
singular number; but as no animal has a single claw, and there is no point in a division of claws, we
must look to a hoof for the correct interpretation. In the Jewish Law (Leviticus 11:3-6), 'Whatsoever
parteth the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts' was lawful as food,
but the camel, the coney (rabbit), and the hare were not lawful, because they do not 'divide the hoof'.
'Undivided hoof' therefore is the correct interpretation. These three animals, unlawful to the Jews, are
lawful in Islam. Compare Sura 4:160.
In Leviticus (7:23) it is laid down that 'ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep or of
goat'
(Note 971, verse 6:146 Ali commentary, page 333) In Leviticus (7:23) it is laid down that 'ye shall
eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep or of goat'. As regard the exceptions, it is to be noticed that
priests were enjoined (Leviticus 7:6) to eat of the fat in the trespass offering, which was considered
holy, viz., 'the rump' (back and bone) 'and the fat that covered the inwards' (entrails), (Leviticus 7:3).
258

Text: We gave Moses the Book, completing (Our favour) to those who would do
right
Ali Commentary: The revelation to Moses went into the details of peoples' lives,
and thus served as a practical guide to the Jews
We gave Moses the Book, completing (Our favour) to those who would do right, and explaining
all things in detail, and a guide and a mercy
(6:154) Moreover, We [GOD] gave Moses the Book [TORAH], completing (Our favour) to those who would do
right, and explaining all things (980) in detail, and a guide and a mercy, that they might believe in the meeting
with their Lord.

The revelation to Moses went into the details of peoples' lives, and thus served as a practical
guide to the Jews and after them to the Christians
(Note 980, verse 6:154 Ali commentary, page 336) The revelation to Moses went into the details of
peoples' lives, and thus served as a practical guide to the Jews and after them to the Christians.
Admittedly, the Message delivered by Christ dealt with general principles only and in no way with
details. The message of Islam as in the Qur'an is the next complete guide in point of time after that of
Moses.
259

Tablets of the Law
Text: (God) said: 'O Moses! I have chosen thee above (other) men, by the mission
I (have given thee) and the words I (have spoken to thee): Take then the
(revelation) which I give theeAnd We ordained laws for him in the Tablets in all
matters
Ali Commentary: The Tablets of the Law contained the essential Truthwhich it
was the function of the prophetic office to hold up for the people to follow
(God) said: 'O Moses! I have chosen thee above (other) men, by the mission I (have given thee)
and the words I (have spoken to thee): Take then the (revelation) which I give theeAnd We
ordained laws for him in the Tablets in all matters, both commanding and explaining all things
(7:144) (God) said: 'O Moses! I have chosen thee above (other) men (1105), by the mission I (have given thee)
[TO LEAD THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL out of Egypt to the Land of Israel ] and the words [TEN COMMANDMENTS] I (have
spoken to thee): Take then the (revelation) [TORAH] which I give thee, and be of those who give thanks (1106).
(7:145) And We [GOD] ordained laws for him [MOSES] in the Tablets [OF THE LAW, CONTAINING THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS] in all matters, both commanding and explaining all things, (and said): 'Take and hold these
with firmness, and enjoin thy people [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] to hold fast by the best in the precepts (1107).

He had a high mission, and he had the honour of speaking to God
(Note 1105, verse 7:144 Ali commentary, page 383) 'Above (other) men': i.e. among his
contemporaries. He had a high mission, and he had the honour of speaking to God.
God's revelation is for the benefit of His creatures, who should receive it with reverence and
gratitude
(Note 1106, verse 7:144 Ali commentary, page 383) God's revelation is for the benefit of His
creatures, who should receive it with reverence and gratitude. While Moses was having these great
spiritual experiences on the Mount [SINAI], his people below were ungrateful enough to forget God and
make a golden calf for worship (Sura 7:147).
260
The Tablets of the Law contained the essential Truth, from which were derived the positive
injunctions and prohibitions, explanations and interpretations, which it was the function of the
prophetic office to hold up for the people to follow
(Note 1107, verse 7:145 Ali commentary, page 383) The Tablets of the Law contained the essential
Truth, from which were derived the positive injunctions and prohibitions, explanations and
interpretations, which it was the function of the prophetic office to hold up for the people to follow. The
precepts would contain, as the Shari'at does, matters absolutely prohibited, matters not prohibited but
disapproved, matters about which there was no prohibition or injunction, but in which conduct was to
be regulated by circumstances; matters of positive and universal duty, matters recommended for
those whose zeal was sufficient to enable them to work on higher than minimum standards, and
matters which were sought by persons of the highest spiritual eminence. No soul is burdened beyond
its capacity; but we are asked to seek the best and highest possible for us in conduct.
261

Tablets of the Law
Qur'an, Sura A'raf (The Heights), 7:150, 154
Text: Mosestook up the Tablets: In the writing thereon was Guidance and
mercy for such as fear the Lord
(Ali translation, pages 385, 387)
Ali Commentary: the Tabletscontained God's Message
Mosestook up the Tablets: In the writing thereon was Guidance and mercy for such as fear
the LordAnd Moses chose seventy of his people for Our place of meeting
(7:150) When Moses came back [down from Mount Sinai] to his people [Children of Israel at the base of
Mount Sinai]He put down the Tablets [of the Law, containing the Ten Commandments] (1116).
(7:154) he [MOSES] took up the Tablets [OF THE LAW, CONTAINING
thereon was Guidance and mercy for such as fear the Lord.
THE
TEN COMMANDMENTS]: In the writing
(7:155) And Moses chose seventy (1121) of his people [FIRST SANHEDRIN OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] for Our
[GOD'S] place of meeting [ON THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT SINAI]; when they [SANHEDRIN] were seized with violent
quaking (1122)

We are not told that the Tablets were brokenthey were whole. They contained God's
Message
(Note 1116, verse 7:150 Ali commentary, page 385) 'Put down the tablets': We are not told that the
Tablets were broken; in fact Sura 7:154 (below) shows that they were whole. They contained God's
Message.
Seventy of the elders were taken up to the Mount They were dazed with thunder and
lightening
(Note 1121, verse 7:154 Ali commentary, page 387) Seventy of the elders were taken up to the
Mount, but left at some distance from the place where God spoke to Moses. They were to be silent
witnessesThey were dazed with thunder and lightening.
262
the thunder and lightening shook the mountain side

(Note 1122, verse 7:154 Ali commentary, page 387) Raifat: Violent quaking, earthquake. I take it to
refer to the same event as is described by the word Sa'iqat in Sura 2:55, the thunder and lightening
shook the mountain side.
263

Text: Was not the Covenant of the Book taken from them, that they would not
ascribe to God anything but the truth?
Ali Commentary: Merely inheriting a Bookdoes not make a nation righteous
Was not the Covenant of the Book taken from them, that they would not ascribe to God anything
but the truth? And they study what is in the Book
(7:168) There are among them [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] some that are righteous, and some that are the
opposite. We [GOD] have tried them with both prosperity and adversity: In order that they might turn (to
Us).
(7:169) they [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] inherited the Book [TORAH] but they chose (for themselves) (1142) the
vanities of this world, saying (for excuse): '(Everything) will be forgiven us'. (Even so), if similar vanities
came their way, they would (again) seize them. Was not the Covenant (1143) of the Book [TORAH] taken from
them, that they would not ascribe to God anything but the truth? And they study what is in the Book [TORAH].
But, best for the righteous is the Home in the Hereafter. Will ye not understand?.

Merely inheriting a Book, or doing lip service to it, does not make a nation righteous
(Note 1142, verse 7:169 Ali commentary, page 392) Merely inheriting a Book, or doing lip service to
it, does not make a nation righteous. If they succumb to the temptations of the world, their hypocrisy
becomes all the more glaring.
(Note 1143, verse 7:169 Ali commentary, page 392) Compare Exodus 19:5-8; 24:3; 34:27; and
many other passages.
264

Qur'an, Sura Tauba (Repentance), 9:111
Text: for theirs (in return) is the Garden (of Paradise): They fight in His Cause
and slay and are slain: A Promise binding on Him in Truth, through the Law
Ali Commentary: Man fights in God's Cause and carries out His will, the Universal
Willwe are taught that this is the doctrine not only of the Qur'an but of the
earlier Revelations, the original Law of Moses and the original Gospel of Jesus
God hath purchased of the Believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the
Garden (of Paradise): They fight in His Cause and slay and are slain: A Promise binding on Him
in Truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and the Qur'an
(9:111) God hath purchased of the Believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the
Garden (of Paradise) (1361): They fight in His Cause and slay and are slain: A Promise binding on Him in
Truth, through the Law [TORAH], the Gospel, and the Qur'an (1362): And who is more faithful to his Covenant
than God? Then rejoice in the bargain which ye have concluded: That is the achievement supreme.

Man fights in God's Cause and carries out His will, the Universal Will
(Note 1361, verse 9:111 Ali commentary, page 474) In a human bargain both sides give something
and receive some advantage. In the divine bargain of God with man, God takes man's will and soul
and his wealth and goods, and gives him in return ever-lasting Felicity. Man fights in God's Cause and
carries out His will, the Universal Will. All that he has to give up is the ephemeral things of this world,
while he gains eternal salvation, the fulfillment of his highest spiritual hopes, a supreme achievement
indeed.
we are taught that this is the doctrine not only of the Qur'an but of the earlier Revelations, the
original Law of Moses and the original Gospel of JesusPaulmentions Gideon, Barak and
other warriors of the Old Testament as his ideals
(Note 1362, verse 9:111 Ali commentary, page 474) We offer our whole selves and our
possessions to God, and God gives us Salvation, i.e. eternal freedom from the bondage of this world.
This is the true doctrine of redemption: And we are taught that this is the doctrine not only of the
Qur'an but of the earlier Revelations, the original Law of Moses and the original Gospel of Jesus. Any
other view of redemption is rejected by Islam, especially that of corrupted Christianity, which thinks
that some other person suffered for our sins and we are redeemed by his blood. It is our self-surrender
265
that counts, not other people's merits. Our complete self-surrender may include fighting for the cause,
both spiritual and physical. As regards actual fighting with the sword there has been some difference
in theological theories at different times, but very little in the practice of those who framed those
theories. The Jewish wars were ruthless wars of extermination. The Old Testament [TANACH] does not
mince matters on this subject. In the New Testament St. Paul, in commending the worthy fruits of
Faith, mentions Gideon, Barak and other warriors of the Old Testament [TANACH] as his ideals. 'Who
through faith subdued kingdomswaxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens'
(Hebrews 11:32-34). The monkish morality of the Gospels in their present form has never been
followed by any self-respecting Christian or other nation in history. Nor is it common-sense to ignore
lust of blood in unregenerate man as a form of evil which has to be combated 'withing the limits, set by
God' (Sura 9:112).
266

Qur'an, Sura Hud (The Prophet Hud), 11:17
Text: the Book of Mosesa guide and mercy
Ali Commentary: the Holy Qur'anis compared to the original Revelation given to
Moses. We make no difference between one true and genuine Message and
another
the Book of Mosesa guide and mercy
(11:17) Can they be (like) those who expect a Clear (Sign) from their Lord [GOD], and whom a witness
[MUHAMMAD] from Himself (1512) doth teach, as did the Book of Moses [TORAH] before it [QUR'AN], a guide (1513)
and a mercy?.

the Holy Qur'anis compared to the original Revelation give to Moses. We make no
difference between one true and genuine Message and another, nor between one apostle
and another, for they all come from the One True God
(Note 1512, verse 11:17 Ali commentary, page 517) 'a witness from Himself': i.e., the Book which
was given to Al-Mustafa [MUHAMMAD], the Holy Qur'an, which is compared to the original Revelation
given to Moses. We make no difference between one true and genuine Message and another, nor
between one apostle and another, for they all come from the One True God".
(Note 1513, verse 11:17 Ali commentary, page 518) 'Guide': The Arabic word here is Imam, a
leader, a guide, one that directs to the true Path. Such a direction is an instance of the Mercy and
Goodness of God to man. The Qur'an and the Apostle Muhammad are also called, each, a Guide and
a Mercy, and so are these epithets applicable to previous Books and Apostles".
267

Qur'an, Sura Hud (The Prophet Hud), 11:110
Text: We certainly gave the Book to Moses
Ali Commentary: Previous revelations are not to be denied or dishonoured
We certainly gave the Book to Moses, but differences arose therein
(11:110) We [GOD] certainly gave the Book [TORAH] to Moses, but differences arose therein [CONFLICTING
JEWISH TRADITIONS OF INTERPRETATION]: Had it not been that a Word had gone forth before from thy Lord, the
matter would have been decided (1613) between them [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL].

Previous revelations are not to be denied or dishonoured
(Note 1613, verse 11:110 Ali commentary, page 544) Compare Sura 10:19. Previous revelations
are not to be denied or dishonoured because those who nominally go by them have corrupted and
deprived them of spiritual value by their vain controversies and disputes.
268

Qur'an, Sura Bani Isra'il (The Children of Israel), 17:2
Text: We gave Moses the Book, and made it a Guide to the Children of Israel
Ali Commentary: 'The Book': The revelation that was given to Moses
We gave Moses the Book, and made it a Guide to the Children of Israel
(17:2) We [GOD] gave Moses the Book (2170), and made it a Guide to the Children of Israel , (commanding):
'Take not other than Me (2171) as Disposer of (your) affairs'.

'The Book': The revelation that was given to Moses
(Note 2170, verse 17:2 Ali commentary, page 693) 'The Book': The revelation that was given to
Moses. It was there clearly laid down that those who followed Moses must consider God as all-in-all.
'Thou shalt have no other gods before me; thou shalt not make unto thee any graven imagethou
shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous Godetc.'
(Exodus 20:3-5). These are the words of the English Bible. As a matter of fact, the spirit of the Mosaic
teaching went further. It referred all things to the Providence of God: God is the Disposer of all affairs,
and we are to look to none but Him. This is Islam [SUBMISSION TO GOD], and the Mi'raj showed that it was
the teaching of God from the most ancient times, and yet it was violated by the very people who
claimed to be its custodians.
The first clause refers to the majesty of God as the Heavenly King; the second clause refers
to His personal interest in all our affairs
(Note 2171, verse 17:2 Ali commentary, page 694) Note the transition from 'We' in the first clause to
'Me' in the second clause. The first clause refers to the majesty of God as the Heavenly King; the
second clause refers to His personal interest in all our affairs.
269

Text: We granted to Moses and Aaron the Criterion (for judgment)a Light and a
Message
Ali Commentary: three things are mentioned as given to Moses and Aaron(3)
The Message, the Book, the original Book of Moses
We granted to Moses and Aaron the Criterion (for judgment), and a Light and a Message
(21:48) In the past We [GOD] granted to Moses and Aaron the Criterion (for judgment) [ORAL TORAH]
and a Light and a Message [WRITTEN TORAH] for those who would do right,
(2709)
(21:49) Those who fear the Lord in their most secret thoughts, and who hold the Hour (of Judgment) in awe
(2710)
.

Here three things are mentioned as given to Moses and Aaron(3) The Message, the Book,
the original Book of Moses, which Aaron as his lieutenant would also use as a guide for his
people
(Note 2709, verse 21:48 Ali commentary, page 833) Compare Sura 2:53 and note 68, where the
meaning of Furqan is discussed. Here three things are mentioned as given to Moses and Aaron: (1)
The Criterion for judgment: This might well be the wonderful Proofs they saw of God's goodness and
glory, from which they could have no doubt as to God's will and command; (2) The Light: This was the
inner enlightenment of their soul, such as comes from inspiration; and (3) The Message, the Book, the
original Book of Moses, which Aaron as his lieutenant would also use as a guide for his people.
Note the three kinds of fear mentioned in Sura 21:48-49 TaqwaKhashyat ishfaq
(Note 2710, verse 21:48 Ali commentary, page 833) Note the three kinds of fear mentioned in Sura
21:48-49. Taqwa is the fear of running counter to the will of God, it is akin to the love of Him; for we
fear to offend those we love; it results in right conduct, and those who entertain it are 'those who would
do right'. Then there is Khashyat, the fear of God, lest the person who entertains it may be found, in
his inmost thoughts, to be short of the standard which God wishes for him, this is also righteous but in
a less high degree than Taqwa which is akin to love. And thirdly, there is the fear of consequences on
the Day of Judgment (ishfaq); this also may lead to righteousness, but is still on a still lower plane.
Perhaps the three correspond to the Criterion, the Light, and the Message (for Warning) of the last
verse.
270

Qur'an, Sura Hajj (The Pilgrimage), 22:17
Text: those who follow the Jewish (scriptures)God will judgethem on the Day
of Judgment
Ali Commentary: all forms of faith that are sincereare matters in which men
cannot interfere. Our duty is to be tolerant within all the limits of tolerance
Those who believe (in the Qur'an), those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians,
Christians, Magians and Polytheists, God will judge between them on the Day of Judgment
(22:17) Those [MUSLIMS] who believe (in the Qur'an), those [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] who follow the Jewish
(scriptures) [TORAH], and the Sabians (2788), Christians, Magians (2789) and Polytheists, God will judge between
them on the Day of Judgment: For God is witness to all things.

the argument is that all forms of faith that are sincere (and not merely contumacious) are
matters in which we as men cannot interfere. Our duty is to be tolerant within all the limits of
tolerance i.e., so long as there is no oppression, injustice and persecution. Where we can
right an obvious wrong, it is our duty to do so; but it would be wrong on our part to rush in
without power or authority simply because other people do not see our point of view
(Note 2788, verse 22:17 Ali commentary, page 854) For Sabians, see note 76 to Sura 2:62. They
are also referred to in Sura 5:72. In both those passages the Muslims are mentioned with the Jews,
Christians and Sabians, as receiving God's protection and mercy. Here, besides the four religions,
there is further mention of Magians and Polytheists: It is not said that they would receive God's Mercy,
but only that God will judge between the various forms of faith. The addition of Polytheists, those who
join gods with God, may seem a little surprising. But, the argument is that all forms of faith that are
sincere (and not merely contumacious) are matters in which we as men cannot interfere. Our duty is to
be tolerant within all the limits of tolerance i.e., so long as there is no oppression, injustice and
persecution. Where we can right an obvious wrong, it is our duty to do so; but it would be wrong on
our part to rush in without power or authority simply because other people do not see our point of
view.
This is the only place where the Magians (Majus) are mentioned in the Qur'an
(Note 2789, verse 22:17 Ali commentary, page 854) This is the only place where the Magians
(Majus) are mentioned in the Qur'an. 'Their cult is a very ancient one. They consider Fire as the purest
271
and noblest element, and worship it as a fit emblem of God. Their location was the Persian and
Median uplands and the Mesopotamian valleys, their religion was reformed by Zardusht [ZARATHUSTRA]
(date uncertain, about B.C. 600?). Their scripture is the Zend-Avesta, the bible of the Parsis [IRANIANS].
They were 'the Wise men of the East' mentioned in the Gospels'.
272

Qur'an, Sura Mu-minun (The Believers ), 23:49
Text: We gave Moses the Book
Ali Commentary: the second part of the mission of Mosesto the Israelites
We gave Moses the Book
(23:49) And We [GOD] gave Moses the Book [TORAH], in order that they [CHILDREN
guidance (2905).
OF ISRAEL]
might receive

the second part of the mission of Mosesto the Israelites
(Note 2905, verse 23:49 Ali commentary, page 882) Here the reference is to the second part of the
mission of Moses, that to the Israelites.
273

Qur'an, Sura Furqan (The Criterion), 25:35
Text: We sent Moses the Book
Ali Commentary: previous Apostlesstuck fast to the Criterion given
We sent Moses the Book
(25:35) (Before this), We [GOD] sent Moses the Book [TORAH], and appointed his brother Aaron with him as
Minister (3092).

previous Apostlesstuck fast to the Criterion given, to distinguish between Good and Evil
(Note 3902, verse 25:35 Ali commentary, page 934) Compare Sura 20:29, and the whole passage
there, which is merely referred to here, to show how previous Apostles were treated, but how they
stuck fast to the Criterion given, to distinguish between Good and Evil.
274

Text: We did reveal to Moses the Book
Ali Commentary: After the destruction of the Pharaonic Tyranny and other similar
Tyrannies before them, God began a new age of Revelation, the age of Moses and
his Book
We [GOD] did reveal to Moses the Book after We had destroyed the earlier generations, (to give)
insight to men, and guidance and Mercy
(28:43) We [GOD] did reveal to Moses the Book [TORAH] after We had destroyed the earlier generations, (to
give) insight to men, and guidance and Mercy, that they might receive admonition (3375):
(28:44) Thou [MUHAMMAD] wast not on the Western side [OF THE VALLEY OF TUWA, MOUNT TUR] when We
decreed the Commission to Moses, nor wast thou a witness (of those events).

After the destruction of the Pharaonic Tyranny and other similar Tyrannies before them, God
began a new age of Revelation, the age of Moses and his Book. Humanity began as it were
with a clean slate again. It was a full Revelation (or Shari'at)
(Note 3375, verse 28:43 Ali commentary, page 1014) After the destruction of the Pharaonic
Tyranny and other similar Tyrannies before them, God began a new age of Revelation, the age of
Moses and his Book. Humanity began as it were with a clean slate again. It was a full Revelation (or
Shari'at) which may be looked at from three points of view: (1) As Light or Insight for men, so that they
should not grope in darkness; (2) As a Guide to show them the Way, so that they should not be misled
into wrong Paths; and (3) As a Mercy from God, so that by following the Way they may receive God's
Forgiveness and Grace. In Sura 6:91, we have a reference to Light and Guidance in connection with
the Revelation of Moses, and in Sura 6:154 we have a reference to Guidance and Mercy in the same
connection. Here all three are combined, with the substitution of Basair for Nur. Basair is the plural of
Basirat, and may also be translated Proofs, as I have done in Sura 6:104. Compare also Sura 7:203,
note 1175, where the word is translated 'Lights'.
275
the reference here is, I think, to the western side of the valley of Tuwa. Mount Tur, where
Moses received his prophetic commission, is on the western side of the valley
(Note 3376, verse 28:44 Ali commentary, page 1015) The Sinai Peninsula is in the northwest corner
of Arabia. But the reference here is, I think, to the western side of the valley of Tuwa. Mount Tur,
where Moses received his prophetic commission, is on the western side of the valley.
276

Qur'an, Sura Ankabut (The Spider), 29:27
Text: We gave (Abraham) Isaac and Jacob, and ordained among his progeny
Prophethood and Revelation
Ali Commentary: Isaac was Abraham's son and Jacob his grandsonEach of
these became a fountain-head of Prophecy and Revelation, Isaac and Jacob
through Moses
We [GOD] gave (Abraham) Isaac and Jacob, and ordained among his progeny Prophethood (3447)
and Revelation
(29:27) And We [GOD] gave (Abraham) Isaac and Jacob, and ordained among his [ABRAHAM'S] progeny
Prophethood (3447) and Revelation [TORAH], and We granted him [ABRAHAM] his reward in this life; and he
[ABRAHAM] was in the Hereafter (of the company) of the Righteous (3448).

Isaac was Abraham's son and Jacob his grandson Each of these became a fountain-head
of Prophecy and Revelation, Isaac and Jacob through Moses Jacob got the name of 'Israel'
at Bethel: Genesis 32:28, 35:10, and his progeny got the title of 'The Children of Israel
(Note 3447, verse 29:27 Ali commentary, page 1035) Isaac was Abraham's son and Jacob his
grandson, and among his progeny was included Isma'il the eldest son of Abraham. Each of these
became a fountain-head of Prophecy and Revelation, Isaac and Jacob through Moses, and Isma'il
through the holy Apostle, Muhammad. Jacob got the name of 'Israel' at Bethel: Genesis 32:28, 35:10,
and his progeny got the title of 'The Children of Israel'.
(Note 3448, verse 29:27 Ali commentary, page 1035) Compare Sura 29:9, and Sura 4:69, note
586.
277

Qur'an, Sura Ankabut (The Spider), 29:46
Text: We believe in the Revelation which has come down to us and in that which
came down to you; our God and your God is One
Ali Commentary: to achieve our purpose as true standardbearers for God, we
shall have to find true common grounds of belief
We believe in the Revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you;
our God and your God is One; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam)
(29:46) And dispute ye [MUSLIMS] not with the People of the Book [JEWS AND CHRISTIANS], except with means
better (3472) (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury) (3473), but
say, 'We [MUSLIMS] believe in the Revelation [QUR'AN] which has come down to us [MUSLIMS] and in that
[TORAH AND GOSPEL] which came down to you [JEWS AND CHRISTIANS]; our God and your God is One; and it is to
Him we bow (in Islam) [SUBMISSION TO GOD] (3474).

Mere disputations are futile. In order to achieve our purpose as true standardbearers for
God, we shall have to find true common grounds of belief
(Note 3472, verse 29:46 Ali commentary, page 1041) Mere disputations are futile. In order to
achieve our purpose as true standardbearers for God, we shall have to find true common grounds of
belief, as stated in the latter part of this verse, and also to show by our urbanity, kindness, sincerity,
truth and genuine anxiety, for the good of others, that we are not cranks or merely seeking selfish or
questionable aims.
those who are deliberately trying to wrong or inure others will have to be treated firmly as we
are guardians of each other
(Note 3473, verse 29:46 Ali commentary, page 1041) Of course, those who are deliberately trying
to wrong or inure others will have to be treated firmly as we are guardians of each other . With them
there is little question of finding common ground or exercising patience, until the injury is prevented or
stopped.
278
the religion of all true and sincere men of Faith is, or should be, one
(Note 3474, verse 29:46 Ali commentary, page 1042) That is, the religion of all true and sincere
men of Faith is, or should be, one; and that is the ideal of Islam.
279

Qur'an, Sura Sada (Adoration), 32:23
Text: We did indeed aforetime give the Book to MosesAnd We made it a guide
to the Children of Israel
Ali Commentary: Moses had, revealed to him, a Law, a shariat, which was to
guide his people
We did indeed aforetime give the Book to MosesAnd We made it a guide to the Children of
Israel
(32:23) We [GOD] did indeed aforetime give the Book [TORAH] to Moses (3656): Be not then in doubt of its
reaching (thee) (3657): And We made it [TORAH] a guide to the Children of Israel.

Moses had, revealed to him, a Law, a shariat, which was to guide his people in all the
practical affairs of their life
(Note 3656, verse 32:23 Ali commentary, page 1097) 'The Book' is not here co-extensive with
Revelation. Moses had, revealed to him, a Law, a shariat, which was to guide his people in all the
practical affairs of their life.
(Note 3657, verse 32:23 Ali commentary, page 1098) 'Its reaching thee': liqa-i-hi. Commentators
differ as to the construction of the pronoun hi, which may be translated either 'its' or 'his'. I construe it
to refer to 'the Book', as that gives the most natural meaning, as explained in the last note.
280

Text: We gave them the Book which helps to make things clear
Ali Commentary: the consummation of God's favour on them wasthe Revelation
given to them
We bestowed Our favour on Moses and AaronAnd We gave them the Book which helps to
make things clear And We guided them to the Straight Way
(37:112) And We [GOD] gave him [ABRAHAM]
Righteous.
(4105)
the good news of Isaac a prophet one of the
(37:113) We blessed him [ABRAHAM] and Isaac: But of their progeny [CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM'S GRANDSON AND
ISAAC'S SON JACOB (ISRAEL)] are (some) that do right, and (some) that obviously (4106) do wrong, to their own
souls.
(37:114) Again, (of old), We bestowed Our favour on Moses and Aaron (4107),
(37:115) And We delivered them [MOSES AND AARON] and their people [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] from (their) Great
Calamity (4108),
(37:116) And We helped them [MOSES, AARON AND
(4109)
,
THE
CHILDREN
OF ISRAEL],
so they overcame (their troubles)
(37:117) And We gave them [MOSES, AARON AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] the Book [TORAH] which helps (4110) to
make things clear;
(37:118) And We guided them [MOSES, AARON AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] to the Straight Way.
(37:119) And We left (this blessing) (4111) for them among generations (to come) in later times:
(37:120) 'Peace and salutation to Moses and Aaron!'
(37:121) Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.
(37:122) For they [MOSES AND AARON] were two of Our believing Servants.

Isaac was Abraham's second son, born of SarahHe was also blessed and became the
ancestor of the Jewish people
(Note 4105, verse 37:112 Ali commentary, page 1206) Isaac was Abraham's second son, born of
Sarah, when Abraham was 100 years of age. See note 4101. He [ISAAC] was also blessed and became
the ancestor of the Jewish people. See next note.
281
So long as the Children of Israel upheld the righteous banner of God, they enjoyed God's
blessing, and their history is a portion of sacred history
(Note 4106, verse 37:113 Ali commentary, page 1206) So long as the Children of Israel upheld the
righteous banner of God, they enjoyed God's blessing, and their history is a portion of sacred history.
When they fell from grace, they did not stop God's Plan: They injured their own souls.
The passages most illustrative of the present passage will be found in Sura 28:4 (oppression
of the Israelites in Egypt) and Sura 20:77-79 (the Israelites triumphant over their enemies
when the latter were drowned in the Red Sea)
(Note 4107, verse 37:114 Ali commentary, page 1207) The story of Moses is told in numerous
passages of the Qur'an. The passages most illustrative of the present passage will be found in Sura
28:4 (oppression of the Israelites in Egypt) and Sura 20:77-79 (the Israelites triumphant over their
enemies when the latter were drowned in the Red Sea).
What could have been a greater calamity to them that that they should have been held in
slavery by the Egyptians
(Note 4108, verse 37:115 Ali commentary, page 1207) What could have been a greater calamity to
them that that they should have been held in slavery by the Egyptians, that their male children should
have been killed and their female children should have been saved alive for the Egyptians?
the consummation of God's favour on them was (verses 117-118) the Revelation given to
them, which guided them on the Straight Way, so long as they preserved the Revelation intact
and followed its precepts
(Note 4109, verse 37:116 Ali commentary, page 1207) The Israelites were delivered by three
stages mentioned in verses 114, 115 and 116 respectively; but the consummation of God's favour on
them was (verses 117-118) the Revelation given to them, which guided them on the Straight Way, so
long as they preserved the Revelation intact and followed its precepts. The three steps were: (1) The
divine commission to Moses and Aaron; (2) The deliverance from bondage; and (3) The triumphant
crossing of the Red Sea and the destruction of Pharaoh's army.
apt descriptions as applied to the Taurat and the Qur'an

(Note 4110, verse 37:117 Ali commentary, page 1207) Mustabin has a slightly different force from
Mubin. I have translated the former by 'which helps to make things clear', and the latter by 'which
makes things clear', apt descriptions as applied to the Taurat [TORAH] and the Qur'an.
(Note 4111, verse 37:119 Ali commentary, page 1207) See above, Sura 37:78-81 and note 4083.
282

Qur'an, Sura Mu-min (The Believer), 40:53-55
Text: We did aforetime give Moses the (Book of) Guidance and We gave the Book
in inheritance to the Children of Israel
Ali Commentary: Moses was given a Revelation, and it was given in heritage to
the Children of Israel
We did aforetime give Moses the (Book of) Guidance and We gave the Book in inheritance to
the Children of Israel A Guide and a Message to men of understanding
(40:53) We [GOD] did aforetime give Moses the (Book of) Guidance [Torah]
[TORAH] in inheritance to the Children of Israel,
(4428)
and We gave the Book
(40:54) A Guide and a Message to men of understanding.

(40:55) Patiently, then, persevere (4427) for the Promise of God is true: And ask forgiveness
and celebrate the Praises of thy Lord in the evening and in the morning (4429).
(4428)
for thy fault,

Moses was given a Revelation, and it was given in heritage to the Children of Israel, to
preserve it, guide their conduct by it, and hold aloft its Message
(Note 4426, verse 40:53 Ali commentary, page 1277) Moses was given a Revelation, and it was
given in heritage to the Children of Israel, to preserve it, guide their conduct by it, and hold aloft its
Message: But they failed in all these particulars.
The Israelitesfailed to proclaim and exemplify God's Message

(Note 4427, verse 40:55 Ali commentary, page 1277) The Israelites corrupted or lost their Book;
they disobeyed God's Law, and failed to proclaim and exemplify God's Message.
Prophets have a further responsibility for their People or their Ummat, and they ask in a
representative capacity
(Note 4428, verse 40:55 Ali commentary, page 1277) Every mortal according to his nature and
degree of spiritual enlightenment falls short of the perfect standard of God (Sura 16:61), and should
therefore ask God for forgiveness. What is merit in an ordinary man may be a human shortcoming in
283
one nearest to God: See Sura 38:24-25, and notes 4175-4176. Prophets have a further responsibility
for their People or their Ummat, and they ask in a representative capacity.
Evening and morning are the best times for contemplation and prayer
(Note 4429, verse 40:55 Ali commentary, page 1278) Compare Sura 3:41. Evening and morning
are the best times for contemplation and prayer. But the phrase 'evening and morning' may mean 'at
all times'.
284

Qur'an, Sura Ha-Mim Sajda (The Abbreviated Letters), 41:45
Text: We certainly gave Moses the Book aforetime
Ali Commentary: the Word or Decree of God is for the best good of all
We certainly gave Moses the Book aforetime: But disputes arose therein
(41:45) We [GOD] certainly gave Moses the Book [TORAH] aforetime: But disputes arose therein. Had it not
been for a Word (4518) that went forth before from thy Lord, (their [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL's] differences) would
have been settled between them: But they remained in suspicious disquieting doubt thereon.

Where there are honest differences of opinion, they can, in God's Plan, lead to greater
enquiry and emulation. Where the differences are fractious, there is often even then time left
for repentance
(Note 4518, verse 41:45 Ali commentary, page 1300) Callousness and self-sufficiency in religion
are often illustrated by sects like the Pharisees and Sadducees among the Jews. Where there are
honest differences of opinion [SUCH AS THOSE BETWEEN THE PHARISAIC SCHOOLS OF HILLEL AND SHAMMAI] , they
can, in God's Plan, lead to greater enquiry and emulation. Where the differences are fractious [SUCH AS
THOSE BETWEEN KORACH AND MOSES], there is often even then time left for repentance. In any case the
Word or Decree of God is for the best good of all, and should not disturb Faith. Compare Sura 10:19.
A good life, of faith and truth, is in our own interests, and the opposite against our own interests. God
is never unjust.
285

Qur'an, Sura Dukhan (Smoke), 44:30-33
Text: We did deliver aforetime the Children of IsraelAnd We chose them
aforetime above the nationsand granted them Signs
Ali Commentary: Among the 'Signs' given to Israel were their own Revelation
under Moses
We did deliver aforetime the Children of IsraelAnd We chose them aforetime above the
(44:30) We [GOD] did deliver aforetime the Children of Israel from humiliating Punishment (4711),
(44:31) Inflicted by Pharaoh, for he was arrogant (even) among inordinate transgressors.
(44:32) And We chose them [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] aforetime above the nations, knowingly (4712),
(44:33) And granted them Signs (4713), in which there was a manifest trial.

The Israelites were held in bondage prior to the Exodus. Their hard taskmaster placed every
indignity on them
(Note 4711, verse 44:30 Ali commentary, page 1349) The Israelites were held in bondage prior to
the Exodus. Their hard taskmaster placed every indignity on them, and by Pharaoh's decree their
male children were to be killed, and their females were to be kept alive for the Egyptians.
From degrading servitude, Israel was delivered, and taken, in spite of many rebellions and
backslidings on the way, to 'a land flowing with milk and honey', where later they established
the glorious kingdom of David and Solomon
(Note 4712, verse 44:32 Ali commentary, page 1349) From degrading servitude, Israel was
delivered, and taken, in spite of many rebellions and backslidings on the way, to 'a land flowing with
milk and honey', where later they established the glorious kingdom of David and Solomon. This was
not merely fortuitous. In God's presence it was to be a link in furthering His Plan. But their being
chosen did not mean that they could do what they liked. In that sense there is no 'chosen race' before
God. But God gives every race and every individual a chance, and when the race or individual fails to
live up to it, he or it must fall and give place to others.
286
Among the 'Signs' given to Israel were their own Revelation under Mosestheir prophets
and teachers of Truth
(Note 4713, verse 44:33 Ali commentary, page 1349) Among the 'Signs' given to Israel were their
own Revelation under Moses, their prosperous land of Canaan, their flourishing Kingdom under David
and Solomon, their prophets and teachers of Truth, and the advent of Jesus to reclaim the lost ones
among them. And these were trials. When they failed the trials, they were left to wander desolate and
suffer.
287

Qur'an, Sura Jathiya (Bowing the Knee), 45:16-17
Text: We did aforetime grant to the Children of Israel the Book
Ali Commentary: Israel had the Revelation given through Moses
We did aforetime grant to the Children of Israel the Book, the Power of Command, and
Prophethoodand We favored them above the nationsAnd We granted them Clear Signs in
affairs (of Religion)
(45:16) We [GOD] did aforetime grant to the Children (4752) of Israel the Book [TORAH], the Power of
Command [KINGDOM OF DAVID and Solomon IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL], and Prophethood; We gave them, for
Sustenance, things (4753) good and pure; and We favored them above the nations.
(45:17) And We [GOD] granted them [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] Clear Signs in affairs (of Religion): It was only
(4754)
after knowledge [OF THE TORAH] had been granted to them that they fell into schisms, through insolent
envy (4755) among themselves. Verily thy Lord will judge between them on the Day of Judgment as to those
matters in which they set up differences.

Israel had the Revelation given through Moses
(Note 4752, verse 45:16 Ali commentary, page 1358) The argument here is similar to that in Sura
44:32-33 but; it is more particular here. Israel had the Revelation given through Moses, the power of
judgment and command through the Kingdom of David and Solomon, and numerous prophetic
warnings through such men as Isaiah and Jeremiah.
Israel became the standard-bearer of God's law, thus 'favoured above the nations'
(Note 4753, verse 45:16 Ali commentary, page 1358) 'Sustenance', here as else where, is to be
understood both in a physical and metaphorical sense. The Mosaic Law laid down rules of diet,
excluding things unclean, and it laid down rules for a pure and honourable life. In this way Israel
became the standard-bearer of God's law, thus 'favoured above the nations'.
288
The Jews were the more to blame that they fell from Grace after all the divine favours which
they had enjoyed
(Note 4754, verse 45:17 Ali commentary, page 1359) Compare 10:93. The Jews were the more to
blame that they fell from Grace after all the divine favours which they had enjoyed. Their schisms and
differences arose from mutual envy, which was rebellious insolence against God.
(Note 4755, verse 45:17 Ali commentary, page 1359) Compare Sura 2:90, and that whole passage,
with its notes.
289

Qur'an, Sura Ahqaf (Winding Sand-tracts), 46:12
Text: before this, was the Book of Moses as a guide and a mercy
Ali Commentary: The last revealed Book which was a Code of Life (Shariat) was
the Book of Moses
And before this, was the Book of Moses as a guide and a mercy: And this Book confirms (it) in
the Arabic tongue
(46:12) And before this [QUR'AN], was (4786) the Book of Moses [TORAH] as a guide and a mercy: And this
Book [QUR'AN] confirms (it) [TORAH] in the Arabic tongue; to admonish the unjust, and as Glad Tidings to
those who do right.

The last revealed Book which was a Code of Life (Shariat) was the Book of Moses
(Note 4786, verse 46:12 Ali commentary, page 1369) The last revealed Book which was a Code of
Life (Shariat) was the Book of Moses, for that of Jesus was not such a Code, but merely moral
precepts to sweep away the corruptions that had crept in.
290

Qur'an, Sura Ahqaf (Winding Sand-tracts), 46:29-30
Text: We have heard a Book revealed after Moses, confirming what came before
it
Ali Commentary: They listened to the reading of the Qur'an with great respect
they had heard of the Jewish religion
We have heard a Book revealed after Moses, confirming what came before it: It guides (men) to
the Truth and to a Straight Path
(46:29) Behold, We [GOD] turned towards thee a company (4809) of Jinns (quietly) listening to the Qur'an:
When they stood in the presence thereof, they said: 'Listen in silence!' When the (reading) was finished, they
returned to their people, to warn (them of their sins).
(46:30) They [JINNS] said: 'O our people! We have heard a Book [QUR'AN] revealed after Moses, confirming
what [TORAH] came before it: It guides (men) to the Truth and to a Straight Path'.

They listened to the reading of the Qur'an with great respect. The next verse shows that they
had heard of the Jewish religion
(Note 4809, verse 46:29 Ali commentary, page 1375) 'A company of Jinns': Nafar (company) may
mean a group of from three to ten persons. For Jinns, see note 929 to Sura 6:100. I have translated
'Spirits', but here some unfamiliar class of men or beings seems to be meant. They listened to the
reading of the Qur'an with great respect. The next verse shows that they had heard of the Jewish
religion, but they were impressed with the Message of Islam, and they seem to have gone back to
their people to share the Good News with them.
291

Qur'an, Sura Fat-h (Victory), 48:29
Text: This is their similitude in the Taurat
Ali Commentary: In the Book of Mosesin the Pentateuch, the posture of
humility in prayer is indicated by prostration
Thou wilt see them bow and prostrate themselves (in prayer), seeking Grace from God and (His)
Good Pleasure. On their faces are their marks, (being) the traces of their prostration. This is their
similitude in the Taurat, and their similitude in the Gospel is
(48:29) Muhammad is the Apostle of God; and those who are with him are strong against Unbelievers,
(but) compassionate amongst each other (4913). Thou wilt see them bow and prostrate themselves (in prayer),
seeking Grace from God and (His) Good Pleasure (4914). On their faces are their marks, (being) the traces (4915)
of their prostration. This is their similitude in the Taurat [TORAH] (4916), and their similitude in the Gospel is
(4917)
. Like a seed which sends forth its blade, then makes it strong; it then becomes thick, and it stands on its
own stem, (filling) the sowers with wonder and delight. As a result (4918), it fills the Unbelievers with rage at
them. God has promised those among them who believe and do righteous deeds forgiveness, and a great
Reward.

The devotees of God wage unceasing war against evil, for themselves, and for others; but to
their own brethren in faith especially the weaker ones they are mild and compassionate
(Note 4913, verse 48:29 Ali commentary, page 1400) Compare Sura 9:128. The devotees of God
wage unceasing war against evil, for themselves, and for others; but to their own brethren in faith
especially the weaker ones they are mild and compassionate: They seek out every opportunity to
sympathise with them and help them.
Their humility is before God and His Apostle and all who have authority from God
(Note 4914, verse 48:29 Ali commentary, page 1400) Their humility is before God and His Apostle
and all who have authority from God, but they yield no power or pomp, nor do they worship worldly
show or glitter. Nor is their humility before God a mere show for men.
292
a good man's face alone shows in him the grace and light of God; he is gentle, kind and
forbearing, ever helpful, relying on God and possessing a blessed Peace and Calmness
(Note 4915, verse 48:29 Ali commentary, page 1400) The traces of their earnestness and humility
are engraved on their faces, i.e., penetrate their inmost being, the face being the outward sign of the
inner man. If we take it in its literal sense, a good man's face alone shows in him the grace and light of
God; he is gentle, kind and forbearing, ever helpful, relying on God and possessing a blessed Peace
and Calmness (Sakina, Sura 48:26) that can come from no other source.
In the Book of Mosesin the Pentateuch, the posture of humility in prayer is indicated by
prostration
(Note 4916, verse 48:29 Ali commentary, page 1400) In the Book of Mosesin the Pentateuch, the
posture of humility in prayer is indicated by prostration: e.g., Moses and Aaron 'fell upon their faces'
(Numbers 16:22).
The similitude in the Gospel is about how the good seed is sown and grows gradually, even
beyond the expectation of the sower
(Note 4917, verse 48:29 Ali commentary, page 1400) The similitude in the Gospel is about how the
good seed is sown and grows gradually, even beyond the expectation of the sower: 'the seed should
spring and grow up, he knoweth not how; for the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade,
then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear': Mark 4:27-28. Thus Islam was preached by the holy
Prophet; the seed seemed to human eyes lost in the ground; but it put forth its shoot, and grew, and
became strong, until it was able to stand on its own legs, and its worst enemies recognized its
existence and right to live.
The result of the wonderful growth of Islam in numbers and strength was that its enemies
were confounded, and raged furiously within their own minds, a contrast to the satisfaction,
wonder, and delight of the Prophet and his Companions
(Note 4918, verse 48:29 Ali commentary, page 1401) I construe the particle 'li' as expressing not
the object, but the result. The result of the wonderful growth of Islam in numbers and strength was that
its enemies were confounded, and raged furiously within their own minds, a contrast to the
satisfaction, wonder, and delight of the Prophet and his Companions. The pronoun 'rage at them' of
course refers to the Prophet and his Companions, and goes back to the earlier words, 'on their faces'
etc..
293

Qur'an, Sura Najm (The Star), 53:36-37
Text: the books of Moses and of Abraham
Ali Commentary: 'Books of Moses', apparently not the Pentateuch, in the Taurat,
but some other book now lost
is he not acquainted with what is in the books of Moses and of Abraham
(53:36) Nay, is he not acquainted with what is in the books (5110) of Moses (53:37) And of Abraham (5111) who fulfilled his engagements (5112).

'Books of Moses', apparently not the Pentateuch, in the Taurat, but some other book now
lost
(Note 5110, verse 53:36 Ali commentary, page 1449) 'Books of Moses', apparently not the
Pentateuch, in the Taurat, but some other book now lost. For example, the Book of the Wars of
Jehovah is referred to in the Old Testament [TANACH] (Numbers 21:14) but is now lost.
No original Book of Abraham is now extantSee note 6094 to Sura 87:19, where the Books
of Moses and Abraham are again mentioned together
(Note 5111, verse 53:37 Ali commentary, page 1449) No original Book of Abraham is now extant.
But a book called 'The Testament of Abraham' has come down to us, which seems to be a Greek
translation of a Hebrew original. See note 6094 to Sura 87:19, where the Books of Moses and
Abraham are again mentioned together.
One of the titles of Abraham is Hanif, the True in Faith

(Note 5112, verse 53:37 Ali commentary, page 1449) One of the titles of Abraham is Hanif, the True
in Faith. Compare Sura 16:120, 123.
294

Qur'an, Sura Hadid (Iron), 57:26
Text: We sent Noah and Abraham, and established in their line Prophethood and
Revelation
Ali Commentary: the Bookwas given to them
And We sent Noah and Abraham, and established in their line Prophethood and Revelation
(57:26) And We [GOD] sent Noah and Abraham, and established in their line [ISHMAEL; Isaac, JACOB (ISRAEL)
AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] Prophethood and Revelation [TORAH AND QUR'AN]: And some of them [AMONG THE
CHILDREN OF ISHMAEL and the Children of Israel] (5319) were on right guidance, but many of them [AMONG THE
CHILDREN OF ISHMAEL AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] became rebellious transgressors.

When the Book that was given to them became corrupted, many of them followed their own
fancies and became transgressors
(Note 5319, verse 57:26 Ali commentary, page 1506) 'Some of them': i.e., of their line, or posterity,
or Ummat. When the Book [TORAH] that was given to them [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] became corrupted
[THROUGH SECTARIAN SCHOOLS OF INTERPRETATION], many of them followed their own fancies and became
transgressors.
295

Qur'an, Sura Saff (Battle Array), 61:6
Text: Children of Israel! I am the apostle of God (sent) to you, confirming the
Law
Ali Commentary: The mission of Jesus was to his own people, the Jews
O Children of Israel! I am the apostle of God (sent) to you, confirming the Law (which came)
before me
(61:6) And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: 'O Children of Israel! I am the apostle of God (sent) to
you (5436), confirming (5437) the Law [TORAH] (which came) before me.

The mission of Jesus was to his own people, the Jews
(Note 5436, verse 61:6 Ali commentary, page 1540) The mission of Jesus was to his own people,
the Jews. Compare Matthew 10:5-6. See also Matthew 15:24: 'I am not sent but to the lost sheep of
Israel', also Matthew 15:26: 'it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs'.
(Note 5437, verse 61:6 Ali commentary, page 1540) Compare Matthew 5:17.
296

Qur'an, Sura Jumu'a (The Assembly [Friday] Prayer), 62:5
Text: those who were charged with the (obligations of the) Mosaic Law
Ali Commentary: The Children of Israel were chosen as special vehicles for God's
Message early in history
The similitude of those who were charged with the (obligations of the) Mosaic Law, but who
subsequently failed in those (obligations) is that of a donkey which carries huge tomes (but
understands them not)
(62:5) The similitude of those [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] who were charged with the (obligations of the) Mosaic
Law [TORAH], but who subsequently failed in those (obligations) is that of a donkey (5457) which carries huge
tomes (but understands them not). Evil is the similitude of people who falsify the Signs of God: And God
guides not people who do wrong.

The Children of Israel were chosen as special vehicles for God's Message early in history.
When their descendants corrupted the Message they merely became like beasts of burden
that carry learning and wisdom on their backs
(Note 5457, verse 62:5 Ali commentary, page 1546) The Children of Israel were chosen as special
vehicles for God's Message early in history. When their descendants corrupted the Message and
became guilty of all the abominations against which prophets like Isaiah inveighed with such zeal and
fire, they merely became like beasts of burden that carry learning and wisdom on their backs but do
not understand or profit by it.
297

Qur'an, Sura A'la (The Most High), 87:14-19
Text: the Books of the earliest (Revelations), the Books of Abraham and Moses
Ali Commentary: The original Revelation of Moses
this is in the Books of the earliest (Revelations), the Books of Abraham and Moses
(87:14) But those will prosper (6091) who purify themselves (6092),
(87:15) And glorify the name of their Guardian-Lord, and (lift their hearts) in Prayer.
(87:16) Nay (behold), ye prefer the life of this world;
(87:17) But the Hereafter is better and more enduring.
(87:18) And this is in the Books of the earliest (Revelations) (6093),
(87:19) The Books of Abraham (6094) and Moses (6095).

'Prosper': In the highest sense attain to Bliss or Salvation
(Note 6091, verse 87:14 Ali commentary, page 1725) 'Prosper': In the highest sense attain to Bliss
or Salvation; as opposed to 'enter the Fire'.
The first process in godliness is to cleanse ourselves in body, mind, and soul
(Note 6092, verse 87:14 Ali commentary, page 1725) The first process in godliness is to cleanse
ourselves in body, mind, and soul. Then we shall be in a fit state to see and proclaim the Glory of God.
That leads us to our actual absorption in Praise and Prayer.
The law of righteousness and godliness is not a new lawBut spiritual truths have to be
renewed and reiterated again and again
(Note 6093, verse 87:18 Ali commentary, page 1725) The law of righteousness and godliness is not
a new law, nor are the vanity and short duration of this world preached here for the first time. But
spiritual truths have to be renewed and reiterated again and again.
298
No Book of Abraham has come down to us. But the Old Testament recognizes that Abraham
was a prophet (Genesis 20:7)Perhaps the Jewish Midrash also refers to a Testament of
Abraham
(Note 6094, verse 87:19 Ali commentary, page 1725) No Book of Abraham has come down to us.
But the Old Testament [TANACH] recognizes that Abraham was a prophet (Genesis 20:7). There is a
book in Greek, which has been translated by Mr. G.H. Box, called The Testament of Abraham
(published by the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, London, 1927). It seems to be a
Greek translation of a Hebrew original. The Greek Text was probably written in the second Christian
century, in Egypt, but in its present form it probably goes back only to the ninth or tenth Century. It was
popular among the Christians. Perhaps the Jewish Midrash also refers to a Testament of Abraham.
The original Revelation of Moses

(Note 6095, verse 87:19 Ali commentary, page 1725) The original Revelation of Moses, of which
the Present Pentateuch is a surviving remission. See Appendix Two, page 282.
299
300
Section Three
Chapter Three
God's People Covenant with the Children of Israel
301
Index of Verses
Section Three
Chapter Three, The People Covenant
3.3.10 Sura Yusuf (Joseph), 12:4-7, page 312
3.3.12 Sura Ta Ha (Mystic Letters), 20:80-82, page 317
302
3.3.1 God's People Covenant with the Children of Israel

Text: Those who break God's Covenant after it is ratifiedcause loss (only) to
themselves
Ali Commentary: a Covenant was entered into with 'Father Abraham' that in
return for God's favours the seed of Abraham would serve God faithfully
Those who break God's Covenant after it is ratified, and who sunder what God has ordered to be
joined, and do mischief on earth: These cause loss (only) to themselves
(2:26) God disdains not to use the similitude of things, lowest (45) as well as highest. Those who believe
know that it is truth from their Lord: But those who reject Faith say: 'What means God by this similitude?' By
it He causes many to stray, and many He leads into the right path; but He causes not to stray, except those
who forsake (the path) (2:27) Those who break God's Covenant after it is ratified, and who sunder what God has ordered to be
joined, and do mischief on earth: These cause loss (only) to themselves.

The mention of the Covenant (Sura 2:27) has a particular and a general significance. The
particular one has reference to the Jewish tradition that a Covenant was entered into with
'Father Abraham' that in return for God's favours the seed of Abraham would serve God
faithfully
(Note 45, verse 2:26 Ali commentary, page 22) The mention of the Covenant (Sura 2:27) has a
particular and a general significance. The particular one has reference to the Jewish tradition that a
Covenant was entered into with 'Father Abraham' that in return for God's favours the seed of Abraham
would serve God faithfully. But as a matter of fact a great part of Abraham's progeny [AMONG THE
CHILDREN OF ISHMAEL AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] were in constant spiritual rebellion against God, as is
testified by their own Prophets and Preachers and by Muhammad Mustafa.
The general significance is that a similar Covenant is metaphorically entered into by every creature of
God: For God's loving care, we at least owe Him the fullest gratitude and willing obedience. The
Sinner, before he darkens his own conscience, knows this, and yet he not only 'forsakes the path', but
resists the Grace of God, which comes to save him. That is why his case becomes hopeless. But the
loss is his own. He cannot spoil God's design. The good man is glad to retrace his steps from any
lapses of which he may have been guilty, and in his case God's Message reclaims him with complete
understanding.
303

Text: Children of Israel! Call to mind the (special) favour which I bestowed upon
youfulfill your Covenant with Me as I fulfill My Covenant with you
Ali Commentary: I have fulfilled My part of the Covenant
Children of Israel! Call to mind the (special) favour which I bestowed upon you, and fulfill your
Covenant with Me as I fulfill My Covenant with you
(2:40) O Children of Israel! Call to mind the (special) favour which I [GOD] bestowed upon you, and fulfill
your Covenant (58) with Me as I fulfill My Covenant with you, and fear none but Me.

You claim to be a favoured nationYou claim a special Covenant with Me. I have fulfilled My
part of the Covenanthave you fulfilled your part of the Covenant?If you fear Me, nothing
else will matter
(Note 58, verse 2:40 Ali commentary, page 27) The Appeal is made to Israel subjectively in terms
of their own tradition. You claim to be a favoured nation; have you forgotten My favours? You claim a
special Covenant with Me. I have fulfilled My part of the Covenant by bringing you out of the land of
bondage [EGYPT] and giving you Canaan, the land 'flowing with milk and honey'. How have you fulfilled
your part of the Covenant? Do you fear for your national existence? If you fear Me, nothing else will
matter.
304

Text: Children of Israel! Call to mind the (special) favour which I bestowed upon
you
Ali Commentary: Sura 2:40introduced a general account of God's favours to
Israel. Now we are introduced to a particular account of incidents in Israel's
history
Children of Israel! Call to mind the (special) favour which I bestowed upon you, and that I
preferred you to all others
(2:47) O Children of Israel! Call to mind the (special) favour which I bestowed upon you (62), and that I
preferred you to all others (for My Message).

These words are recapitulated from Sura 2:40, which introduced a general account of God's
favours to Israel: Now we are introduced to a particular account of incidents in Israel's history
(Note 62, verse 2:47 Ali commentary, page 28) These words are recapitulated from Sura 2:40,
which introduced a general account of God's favours to Israel: Now we are introduced to a particular
account of incidents in Israel's history. Each incident is introduced by the Arabic word 'Iz', which is
indicated in the translation by 'Remember'.
305

Text: We took your Covenant
Ali Commentary: the people solemnly entered into the Covenant
We took your Covenant
Mount (Sinai) (78) (saying): 'Hold firmly to what We have given you [GOD'S LAND, TORAH AND PEOPLE COVENANTS]
and bring (ever) to remembrance what is therein [IN THE TORAH]: Perchance ye may fear God.

The Covenant was taken from them under many portents (Exodus 19:5, 8, 16, 18).the
people solemnly entered into the Covenant: All the people answered together and said, 'All
that the Lord hath spoken we will do'
(Jabal Musa). The Israelites encamped at the foot of it for nearly a year. The Covenant was taken from
306

Text: remember We took a Covenant from the Children of Israel
Ali Commentary: the real Covenant is about the moral law
remember We took a Covenant from the Children of Israel
(2:83) And remember We [GOD] took (87) a Covenant from the Children of Israel (to this effect): Worship
none but God; treat with kindness your parents and kindred and orphans and those in need; speak fair to the
people, be steadfast in prayer; and practice regular charity. Then did ye turn back, except a few among you
and ye backslide (even now).

the real Covenant is about the moral law, which is set out in Sura 2:83. This moral law is
universal and if you break it no privileges will lighten your punishment or help you in any way
(Sura 2:86)
(Note 87, verse 2:83 Ali commentary, page 39) So far from the Covenant being of the kind you
suggest in Sura 2:80, the real Covenant is about the moral law, which is set out in Sura 2:83. This
moral law is universal and if you break it no privileges will lighten your punishment or help you in any
way (Sura 2:86). 'Speak fair to the people' not only means outward courtesy from the leaders to the
meanest of the people, but the protection of the people from being exploited, deceived, defrauded or
doped with things to lull their intelligence.
307

Text: remember We took your Covenant
Ali Commentary: CompareSura 2:63Herethey are reminded of the same
solemn Covenant
remember We took your Covenant
Mount (Sinai): (Saying): 'Hold firmly to what We have given you [GOD'S LAND, TORAH AND PEOPLE COVENANTS]
and hearken (to the Law)' (97).

Compare the introductory words of Sura 2:63Herethey are reminded of the same solemn
Covenant
(Note 97, verse 2:93 Ali commentary, page 42) Compare the introductory words of Sura 2:63 which
are the same as the introductory words here but the argument is developed in a different direction in
the two places. In Sura 2:63, after they are reminded of the solemn Covenant under the towering
height of Mount Sinai, they are told how they broke the Covenant in after ages. Herethey are
reminded of the same solemn Covenant
308

Text: Children of Israel! Call to mind the special favour which I bestowed upon
you
Children of Israel! Call to mind the special favour which I [GOD] bestowed upon you, and that I
(2:122) O Children of Israel! Call to mind the special favour which I [GOD] bestowed upon you, and that I
preferred you to all others (for My Message).
309

Text: God did aforetime take a Covenant from the Children of Israel, and We
appointed twelve captains among them
Ali Commentary: The captains or elders or leaders of the people were selected,
one from each of the twelve tribes
God did aforetime take a Covenant from the Children of Israel, and We appointed twelve
captains among them. And God said: 'I am with you'
(5:12) God did aforetime take a Covenant from the Children of Israel (709), and We [GOD] appointed twelve
captains [TWELVE PRINCES OF THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL] among them. And God said: 'I am with you: If ye (but)
establish regular Prayers, practice regular Charity, believe in My apostles [MOSES AND AARON], honour and
assist them, and loan to God a beautiful loan (710), verily I will wipe out from you your evils, and admit you to
Gardens with rivers flowing beneath; but if any of you, after this, resisteth Faith, h e hath truly wandered
from the path of rectitude' (711).

The captains or elders or leaders of the people were selected, one from each of the twelve
tribes
(Note 709, verse 5:12 Ali commentary, page 244) Compare Sura 2:63 and note 78. 'Mosescalled
for the elders of the peopleand all the people answered together and said: 'All that the Lord hath
spoken we will do' (Exodus 19:7-8). This was under the towering height of Mount Sinai.
The captains or elders or leaders of the people were selected, one from each of the twelve tribes (see
Sura 2:60 and note 73). For census purposes the names of the elders of the tribes are given in
Numbers 1:4-16: They are called 'every one the head of the house of his fathers'. Later, twelve other
'heads of the Children of Israel' were selected to spy out the land of Canaan: Their names are
mentioned in Numbers 13:1-16. See also, below, Sura 5:22-29 and notes.
The phrase means 'spending in the cause of God'. God in His infinite grace looks upon this
as a loan, for which He gives a recompense manifold
(Note 710, verse 5:12 Ali commentary, page 245) Compare Sura 2:245, note 276. The phrase
means 'spending in the cause of God'. God in His infinite grace looks upon this as a loan, for which He
gives a recompense manifold.
310
'The path of rectitude': Or the even way

(Note 711, verse 5:12 Ali commentary, page 245) 'The path of rectitude': Or the even way: See
Sura 2:108, note 109.
311

Text: We took the Covenant of the Children of Israel
We took the Covenant of the Children of Israel
(5:70) We took the Covenant of the Children of Israel and sent them apostles.
312

Qur'an, Sura Yusuf (Joseph), 12:4-7
Text: Thus will thy Lord choose thee and teach thee the interpretation of stories
(and events) and perfect His favour to thee and to the posterity of Jacob even as
He perfected it to thy fathers Abraham and Isaac aforetime!
Ali Commentary: Josephwas one of the Chosen Ones of GodHis father was
Jacob, also called Israel the son of Isaac, the younger son of Abraham
Thus will thy Lord choose thee and teach thee the interpretation of stories (and events) and
perfect His favour to thee and to the posterity of Jacob even as He perfected it to thy fathers
Abraham and Isaac aforetime! For God is full of knowledge and wisdom
(12:4) Behold, Joseph said to his father [JACOB (Israel)]: 'O my father!
sun and the moon: I saw them prostrate themselves to me! (1633).
(1632)
, I did see eleven stars and the
(12:5) Said (the father) [JACOB (ISRAEL)]: 'My (dear) little son [JOSEPH]! Relate not thy vision to thy brothers,
lest they concoct a plot against thee (1634): For Satan is to man an avowed enemy!' (1635)
(12:6) 'Thus will thy Lord choose thee and teach thee the interpretation of stories (1636) (and events) and
perfect His favour to thee and to the posterity of Jacob even as He perfected it to thy fathers Abraham and
Isaac aforetime! For God is full of knowledge and wisdom' (1637).
(12:7) Verily in Joseph and his brethren are Signs (or symbols) for Seekers (after Truth) (1638).

Josephwas one of the Chosen Ones of GodHis father was Jacob, also called Israel the
son of Isaac, the younger son of Abraham, (the elder son having been Isma'il), whose story is
told in Sura 2:124-129. Abraham may be called the Father of the line of Semitic prophecy
Jerusalem
313
Joseph was a mere lad of seventeen. But he was true and frank and righteousHe was to
be exalted to rank above his eleven brothers (stars) and his father and mother (sun and
moon
(Note 1633, verse 12:4 Ali commentary, page 551) Joseph was a mere lad of seventeen. But he
was true and frank and righteous; he was a type of manly beauty and rectitude. His father loved him
dearly. His half-brothers were jealous of him and hated him. His destiny was pre-figured in the vision.
He was to be exalted to rank above his eleven brothers (stars) and his father and mother (sun and
moon), but as the subsequent story shows, he never lost his head, but always honoured his parents
and repaid his brothers' craft and hatred with forgiveness and kindness.
The young lad Yusuf was innocent

(Note 1634, verse 12:5 Ali commentary, page 551) The young lad Yusuf was innocent and did not
even know of his brother's guile and hatred, but the father knew and warned him.
Evil was the declared opposite or enemy of the true nature and instincts of manhood
(Note 1635, verse 12:5 Ali commentary, page 551) The story is brought up at once to its spiritual
bearing. These wicked brothers were puppets in the hands of Evil. They allowed their manhood to be
subjugated by Evil, not remembering that Evil was the declared opposite or enemy of the true nature
and instincts of manhood.
If Joseph was to be of the elect, he must understand and interpret Signs and events aright.
The imagination of the pure sees truths, which those not so endowed cannot understand. The
dreams of the righteous pre-figure great events, while the dreams of the futile are mere idle
futilities
(Note 1636, verse 12:6 Ali commentary, page 551) If Joseph was to be of the elect, he must
understand and interpret Signs and events aright. The imagination of the pure sees truths, which
those not so endowed cannot understand. The dreams of the righteous pre-figure great events, while
the dreams of the futile are mere idle futilities. Even things that happen to us are often like dreams.
The righteous man receives disasters and reverses, not with blasphemies against God, but with
humble devotion, seeking to ascertain His Will. Nor does he receive good fortune with arrogance, but
as an opportunity for doing good, to friends and foes alike. His attitude to histories and stories is the
same: He seeks the edifying material which leads to God.
314
In Joseph's case he could look back to his fathers, and to Abraham the True, the Righteous,
who through all adversities kept his Faith pure and undefiled and won through
(Note 1637, verse 12:6 Ali commentary, page 551) Whatever happens is the result of God's Will
and Plan. And He is good and wise, and He knows all things. Therefore, we must trust Him. In
Joseph's case he could look back to his fathers, and to Abraham the True, the Righteous, who
through all adversities kept his Faith pure and undefiled and won through.
Those in search of true spiritual knowledge can see it embodied in concrete events in this
story of many facets, matching the colours of Joseph's many-coloured coat
(Note 1638, verse 12:7 Ali commentary, page 552) In Joseph's story we have good and evil
contrasted in so many different ways. Those in search of true spiritual knowledge can see it embodied
in concrete events in this story of many facets, matching the colours of Joseph's many-coloured coat.
315

Text: Remember! Moses said to his people: 'Call to mind the favour of God to
you
Ali Commentary: The referenceto Israel and Moses servesas an appeal to the
People of the Book
Remember! Moses said to his people: 'Call to mind the favour of God to you when He delivered
you from the people of Pharaoh'
(14:5) We [GOD] sent Moses with Our Signs (and the command): 'Bring out thy people [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL]
from the depths of darkness [IN EGYPT] into light [IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL], and teach them to remember the Days
of God' [BIBLICAL FESTIVALS OF ROSH HASHANAH/NEW YEAR, YOM KIPPUR/DAY OF ATONEMENT, SUKKOT/TABERNACLES,
PESACH/PASSOVER AND SHAVUOT /PENTECOST] (1876). Verily in this there are Signs for such as are firmly patient and
constant, grateful and appreciative (1877).
(14:6) Remember! Moses said to his people [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL]: 'Call to mind the favour of God to you
when He delivered you (1878) from the people of Pharaoh [EGYPTIANS]: They set you hard tasks and
punishments, slaughtered your sons, and let your women-folk live: Therein was a tremendous trial from your
Lord [GOD]'
(14:7) 'And remember! Your Lord [GOD] caused to be declared (publicly): 'If ye [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] are
grateful, I will add more (favours) unto you; but if ye show ingratitude (1879), truly My punishment is terrible
indeed'.
(14:8) And Moses said: 'If ye [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] show ingratitude (1880), ye and all on earth [CHILDREN
NOAH] together, yet is God Free of all wants (1801), Worthy of all praise'.
OF

there are special events in personal or national history which may be commemorated as
Red-letter Days. Those to the Israelites were set out in great detail in Sura 2:30-61 and in
other places
(Note 1876, verse 14:5 Ali commentary, page 620) 'The Days of God': The days when God's mercy
was specially shown to them. Every day and every hour and minute, God's grace flows to us
abundantly, but there are special events in personal or national history which may be commemorated
as Red-letter Days. Those to the Israelites were set out in great detail in Sura 2:30-61 and in other
places.
316
Shakur and Shakir have in them the idea of appreciation, recognition, gratitude as shown in
deeds of goodness and righteousness. Both terms are applied to God as well as to men
(Note 1877, verse 14:5 Ali commentary, page 620) Sabbar is the intensive form, and includes all
the ideas implied in Sabr (Sura 2:45 and note 61, and Sura 2:153, note 157) in an intensive degree.
Shakur and Shakir have in them the idea of appreciation, recognition, gratitude as shown in deeds of
goodness and righteousness. Both terms are applied to God as well as to men. A slight distinction in
shades of meaning may be noted. Shakur implies that the appreciation is even for the smallest favours
and response on the other side; it is a mental attitude independent of specific facts. Shakir implies
bigger and more specific things.
The reference back to Israel and Moses serves a double purpose as an appeal to the
People of the Book, and as a reminder to the Quraish of the favour now conferred on them
(Note 1878, verse 14:6 Ali commentary, page 620) Compare Sura 2:49. The reference back to
Israel and Moses serves a double purpose as an appeal to the People of the Book, and as a
reminder to the Quraish of the favour now conferred on them by the coming among them of
[MUHAMMAD].
Kafir in the most general sense may be translated 'Unbeliever'

(Note 1879, verse 14:7 Ali commentary, page 621) The various shades of meaning in Shakara are
explained in note 1877 above. Kafara implies: (1) To reject Faith, as in Sura 2:6 and note 30; (2) To be
ungrateful for mercies and favours received, as here; (3) To resist God or Faith, as in Sura 3:13; (4)
To deny (the Signs of God), as in Sura 3:21, or deny the mission of Messengers, as in Sura 14:9.
Kafir in the most general sense may be translated 'Unbeliever'.
If the whole of you band together against God, you do not detract from God's power one
atom, because, God does not depend on you for anything
(Note 1880, verse 12:8 Ali commentary, page 621) Ingratitude not only in feeling or words, but in
disobedience, and willful rejection and rebellion. If the whole of you band together against God, you do
not detract from God's power one atom, because, God does not depend on you for anything, and His
goodness and righteousness and praiseworthiness cannot be called in question by your contumacy.
(Note 1881, verse 12:8 Ali commentary, page 621) Compare in Milton's sonnet, On His Blindness:
'God doth not need either man's work or his own gifts!'
317

Qur'an, Sura Ta Ha (Mystic Leters, T.H.), 20:80-82
Text: O ye Children of Israel! We delivered you from your enemy, and We made a
Covenant with you
Ali Commentary: 'God has looked after you and saved you. He has given you
ethical and spiritual guidance
O ye Children of Israel! We delivered you from your enemy, and We made a Covenant with you
on the right side of Mount (Sinai), and We sent down to you Manna and quails
(20:80) O ye Children of Israel! We [GOD] delivered you from your enemy [PHARAOH AND THE EGYPTIANS], and
We made a Covenant with you on the right side of (2601) Mount (Sinai), and We sent down to you Manna and
quails:
(20:81) (Saying): 'Eat of the good (2602) things We have provided for your sustenance, but commit no excess
therein, lest My Wrath should justly descend on you: And those on whom descends My Wrath do perish
indeed! (2603)
(20:82) But, without doubt, I am (also) He that forgives again and again, to those who repent, believe and
do right, who in fine, are ready to receive guidance.

The Arabian side of Sinai (Jabal Musa) was the place where Moses first received his
commission before going to Egypt, and also where he received the Law after the Exodus from
Egypt
(Note 2601, verse 20:80 Ali commentary, page 806) 'Right side': Compare Sura 19:52, and note
2504, towards the end. The Arabian side of Sinai (Jabal Musa) was the place where Moses first
received his commission before going to Egypt, and also where he received the Law after the Exodus
from Egypt.
'God has looked after you and saved you. He has given you ethical and spiritual guidance.
Enjoy the fruits of all this, but do not become puffed up and rebellious'
(Note 2602, verse 20:81 Ali commentary, page 806) Compare Sura 2:57 and note 71; and Sura
7:160. I should like to construe this not only literally but also metaphorically. 'God has looked after you
and saved you. He has given you ethical and spiritual guidance. Enjoy the fruits of all this, but do not
become puffed up and rebellious (another meaning in the root Taga); otherwise the Wrath of God is
sure to descend on you'.
318
This gives the key-note to Moses' constant tussle with his own people
(Note 2603, verse 20:81 Ali commentary, page 806) This gives the key-note to Moses' constant
tussle with his own people, and introduces immediately afterwards the incident of the golden calf.
319
320
Section Three
Chapter Four
Jerusalem: Eternal Capital of the Israelite Kingdom of David
and Solomon
321
Index of Verses
Section Three, Chapter Four, Jerusalem
3.4.7 Sura Kahf (The Cave), 18:65, page 336
3.4.8 Sura Maryam (Mary), 19:22, page 338
3.4.11 Sura Tin (The Fig), 95:1-6, page 341
322
3.4.1 Jerusalem: Eternal Capital of the Israelite Kingdom of David and

Solomon
Mecca: The Muslim City of Peace; Jerusalem: The Jewish City of Peace
Text: Abraham said: 'My Lord, make this a City of Peace
Ali Commentary: the same root occurs in the latter part of the name Jerusalem,
the Jewish City of Peace
And remember Abraham said: 'My Lord, make this a City of Peace, and feed its people with
fruits such of them as believe in God and the Last Day'
(2:126) And remember Abraham said: 'My Lord [GOD], make this [MECCA] a City of Peace (127), and feed its
people with fruits such of them as believe in God and the Last Day'. He [GOD] said: '(Yea), and such as
reject Faith for a while I will grant them their pleasure, but I will soon drive them to the torment of Fire, an
evil destination (indeed)!'

when Mecca is a city of Islam, it is also the City of Peace. The same root occurs in the latter
part of the name Jerusalem, the Jewish City of Peace
(Note 127, verse 2:126 Ali commentary, page 53) The root salama in the word Islam implies
(among other ideas) the idea of peace, and therefore when Mecca is a city of Islam, it is also the City
of Peace. The same root occurs in the latter part of the name Jerusalem, the Jewish City of Peace.
323
3.4.2 Jerusalem: Eternal Capital of the Israelite Kingdom of David and Solomon
Mecca and Jerusalem
Text: Send amongst them an Apostle of their own, who shall rehearse Thy Signs
to them and instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom
Ali Commentary: Mecca will house 360 idols, and Jerusalem will become a harlot
city (Ezekiel 16:15), a city of abomination
'Our Lord! Send amongst them an Apostle of their own, who shall rehearse Thy Signs to them
and instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom, and sanctify them'
(2:129) 'Our Lord [GOD]! Send amongst them [CHILDREN OF ISHMAEL] an Apostle of their own, who shall
rehearse Thy Signs to them and instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom, and sanctify them': For Thou art the
Exalted in Might, the Wise' (129)

Heasks for a blessing on himself and his progeny generally, both the children of his eldestborn Isma'il and his younger son Isaac. With prophetic vision he foresees that there will be
corruption and backsliding in both branches of his family: Mecca will house 360 idols, and
Jerusalem will become a harlot city (Ezekiel 16:15), a city of abomination
(Note 129, verse 2:129 Ali commentary, page 54) How beautiful this prayer is, and how aptly it
comes in here in the argument! Such Paganism or star-worship or planet-worship as there was in
Abraham's time was first cleared out of Mecca by Abraham. This is the chief meaning of 'sanctification'
or purification in Sura 2:125, although of course physical cleanliness is (in physical conditions) a
necessary element of purification in the higher sense. Abraham and his elder son Isma'il then built the
Ka'ba and established the rites and usages of the sacred city. He [ABRAHAM] was thus the founder of
the original Islam (which is as old as mankind) in Arabia. As becomes a devout man, he [ABRAHAM]
offers and dedicates the work to God to humble supplication, addressing Him as the All-Hearing and
the All-Knowing. He then asks for a blessing on himself and his progeny generally, both the children of
his eldest-born Isma'il and his younger son Isaac. With prophetic vision he foresees that there will be
corruption and backsliding in both branches of his family: Mecca will house 360 idols, and Jerusalem
will become a harlot city (Ezekiel 16:15), a city of abomination.
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Solomon
Mecca: Direction of Prayer (Qiblah) for Muslims
Jerusalem: Direction of Prayer (Qiblah) for the Children of Israel
Text: To each is a goal to which God turns him; then strive together (as in a race)
towards all that is good. Wheresoever ye are, God will bring you together
Ali Commentary: A very clear glimpse of the old Jewish practice in the matter of
the Qiblah, and the importance attached to it, is found in the Book of Daniel
6:10Daniel enjoyed the highest offices of state at Babylon, but he was ever true
to Jerusalem. Daniel continued true to Jerusalem
'What hath turned them from the Qiblah to which they were used?'
(2:142) The Fools among the people (140) will say: 'What hath turned them [MUSLIMS] from the Qiblah
[TOWARDS JERUSALEM] (141) to which they were used?' Say: 'To God belong both East and West: He guideth
whom He will to a Way that is straight'.
We appointed the Qiblah to which thou wast used, only to test those who followed the Apostle
(2:143) Thus (142) have We [GOD] made of you [MUSLIMS] an Ummat [COMMUNITY] justly balanced (143), that ye
might be witnesses (144) over the nations, and the Apostle a witness over yourselves; and We appointed the
Qiblah [TOWARDS JERUSALEM] to which thou wast used, only to test those who followed the Apostle from those
who would turn on their heels (145) (from the Faith). Indeed it was (a change) momentous, except to those
guided by God. And never would God make your faith of no effect (146). For God is to all people most surely
full of kindness, Most Merciful.
The People of the Book know well that that is the truth from their Lord
(2:144) We [GOD] see the turning of thy face (for guidance) to the heavens (147): Now shall We turn thee to a
Qiblah [TOWARDS MECCA] that shall please thee. Turn then thy face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque [OF
MECCA] (148); wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction. The People of the Book [JEWS AND CHRISTIANS]
(149)
know well that that is the truth from their Lord. Nor is God unmindful of what they do.
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Even if thou were to bring to the People of the Book all the Signs (together), they would not
follow thy Qiblah; nor art thou going to follow their Qiblah; nor indeed will they follow each
other's Qiblah
(2:145) Even if thou [MUSLIMS] were to bring to the People of the Book [JEWS AND CHRISTIANS] all the Signs
(together), they [JEWS AND CHRISTIANS] would not follow thy [MUSLIMS'] Qiblah [TOWARDS MECCA]; nor art thou
[MUSLIMS] going to follow their [JEWS AND CHRISTIANS'] Qiblah [JEWS TOWARDS JERUSALEM, Christians towards THE
(150)
EAST]; nor indeed will they [JEWS AND CHRISTIANS] follow
each other's Qiblah. If thou [MUSLIMS] after the
knowledge hath reached thee [MUSLIMS], wert to follow their [JEWS AND CHRISTIANS'] (vain) desires [THAT
MUSLIMS RENOUNCE THE MECCAH QIBLAH] then wert thou [MUSLIMS] indeed (clearly) in the wrong.
The People of the Book know this as they know their own sons
(2:146) The People of the Book [JEWS AND CHRISTIANS] know this as they know their own sons (151), but some of
them conceal the truth which they themselves know.
The Truth is from thy Lord

(2:147) The Truth is from thy Lord (152), so be not at all in doubt.
To each is a goal to which God turns him; then strive together (as in a race) towards all that is
good. Wheresoever ye are, God will bring you together
(2:148) To each [MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS AND JEWS] is a goal to which God (153) turns him [MUSLIMS TOWARDS MECCA,
Christians towards the East, Jews towards Jerusalem ]; then strive together (as in a race) towards all that is
good [COMPETE IN PERFORMING GOOD DEEDS]. Wheresoever ye [MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS AND JEWS] are, God will bring
you [MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS AND JEWS] together. For God hath power over all things.

Nas = People, the unthinkable multitude that sway to and fro
(Note 140, verse 2:142 Ali commentary, page 57) Nas = People, the unthinkable multitude that
sway to and fro, instead of being firm in God's Way.
In the early days, before they were organized as a people, they followed as a symbol for their
Qibla the sacred city of Jerusalem, sacred both to the Jews and Christians, the People of the
Book. This symbolized their allegiance to the continuity of God's revelation.Jerusalem still
remained (and remains) sacred in the eyes of Islam
(Note 141, verse 2:142 Ali commentary, page 57) Qibla = the direction to which Muslims turn in
prayer. Islam lays great stress on social prayer in order to emphasize our universal Brotherhood and
mutual cooperation. For such prayer, order, punctuality, precision, symbolical postures and a common
direction are essential, so that the Imam (leader) and all his congregation may face one way and offer
their supplications to God. In the early days, before they [MUSLIMS] were organized as a people, they
326
followed as a symbol for their Qibla the sacred city of Jerusalem , sacred both to the Jews and
Christians, the People of the Book. This symbolized their allegiance to the continuity of God's
revelation. When, despised and persecuted they were turned out of Mecca and arrived in Medina,
Mustafa [MUHAMMAD] under divine direction began to organize his people as an Ummat, an independent
people, with laws and rituals of their own. At that stage the Ka'ba was established as a Qibla, thus
going back to the earliest center, with which the name of Abraham was connected and traditionally
also the name of Adam. Jerusalem still remained (and remains) sacred in the eyes of Islam
'Thus': By giving you a Qibla of your own

(Note 142, verse 2:143 Ali commentary, page 57) 'Thus': By giving you [MUSLIMS] a Qibla [TOWARD
MECCAH] of your own, most ancient in history, and most modern as a symbol of your organization as a
new nation (Ummat).
the Arabic word (wasat) also implies a touch of the literal meaning of Intermediacy.
Geographically, Arabia is in an intermediate position in the Old World
(Note 143, verse 2:143 Ali commentary, page 57) 'Justly balanced': The essence of Islam is to
avoid all extravagances on either side. It is a sober, practical religion. But the Arabic word (wasat) also
implies a touch of the literal meaning of Intermediacy. Geographically, Arabia is in an intermediate
position in the Old World, as was proved in history by the rapid expansion of Islam, north, south, west
and east.
'Witnesses': When two persons dispute, they advance extravagant claims. A just witness
comes between them, and brings the light of reason to bear on them, pruning all their selfish
extravagances
(Note 144, verse 2:143 Ali commentary, page 57) 'Witnesses': When two persons dispute, they
advance extravagant claims. A just witness comes between them, and brings the light of reason to
bear on them, pruning all their selfish extravagances. So the mission of Islam is to curb, for instance,
the extreme formalism of the Mosaic law and the extreme 'otherworldliness' professed by Christianity.
The witness must be unselfish, equipped with first-hand knowledge, and ready to intervene in the
cause of justice. Such is the position claimed by Islam among rival systems. Similarly, within Islam
itself, the position of witness to whom disputants can appeal is held by Muhammad Mustafa.
The Qiblah of Jerusalem might have seemed strange itself to the Arabs, and the change
from it to the Ka'ba might have seemed strange after they had become used to the other
(Note 145, verse 2:143 Ali commentary, page 58) The Qiblah of Jerusalem might have seemed
strange itself to the Arabs, and the change from it to the Ka'ba might have seemed strange after they
had become used to the other. In reality one direction or another, or east and west, in itself did not
matter, as God is in all places, and is independent of Time and Place
327
What become of prayer with the Jerusalem Qiblah? It was equally efficacious before the new
Qiblah was ordained. God regards our faith: Every act of true and genuine faith is efficacious
with Him
(Note 146, verse 2:143 Ali commentary, page 58) What become of prayer with the Jerusalem
Qiblah? It was equally efficacious before the new Qiblah was ordained. God regards our faith: Every
act of true and genuine faith is efficacious with Him, even if formalists pick holes in such acts.
Until the organization of his own people into a well-knit community, with its distinctive laws
and ordinances, he followed a practice based on the fact that the Jews and Christians looked
upon Jerusalem as a sacred city
(Note 147, verse 2:144 Ali commentary, page 58) This shows the sincere desire of Mustafa
[MUHAMMAD] to seek light from Above in the matter of the Qiblah. Until the organization of his own
people into a well-knit community, with its distinctive laws and ordinances, he [MUHAMMAD] followed a
practice based on the fact that the Jews and Christians looked upon Jerusalem as a sacred city. But
there was no universal Qiblah among them. Some Jews turned towards Jerusalem as a sacred city,
especially during the Captivity, as we shall see later. At the time of our Prophet, Jerusalem was in the
hands of the Byzantine Empire, which was Christian. But the Christians oriented their churches to the
East (hence the word 'orientation') which is a point of the compass, and not the direction of any sacred
place.
(Note 149, verse 2:144 Ali commentary, page 59) Glimmerings of such a Qiblah were already
foreshadowed in Jewish and Christian practice
A very clear glimpse of the old Jewish practice in the matter of the Qiblah, and the
importance attached to it, is found in the Book of Daniel 6:10. Daniel was a righteous man of
princely lineage and lived about 606-538 B.C. He was carried off to Babylon by
Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel enjoyed the highest offices of state at Babylon, but he was ever
true to Jerusalem. Daniel continued true to Jerusalem
(Note 150, verse 2:145 Ali commentary, page 59) See note 147 to Sura 2:144 above. The Jews and
Christians hadthe Qiblah idea, butthey were not likely to welcome the Qiblah idea asin Islam
[PRAYING TOWARDS MECCA]. Nor is Islamlikely to revert to thevarying ideas of orientation held
previously [PRAYING TOWARDS JERUSALEM].
A very clear glimpse of the old Jewish practice in the matter of the Qiblah, and the importance
attached to it, is found in the Book of Daniel 6:10. Daniel was a righteous man of princely lineage and
lived about 606-538 B.C. He was carried off to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, the Assyrian [BABYLONIAN],
but was still living when Assyria [BABYLONIA] was overthrown by the Medes and the Persians. In spite of
the 'Captivity' of the Jews, Daniel enjoyed the highest offices of state at Babylon, but he was ever true
to Jerusalem. His enemies (under the Persian monarch) got a penal law passed against anyone who
'asked a petition of any god or man for 30 days' except the Persian King. But Daniel continued true to
328
Jerusalem. 'His windows being open in his chamber towards Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees
three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime' (Daniel 6:10).
'To each is a goal to which he turns.the goal of good, may be applied individually and
nationally'
(Note 153, verse 2:148 Ali commentary, page 60) The question is how we are to construe the
pronoun huwa in the original. The alternative translation would be: 'To each is a goal to which he
turns'. The simile of life being a race, in which we all zealously run forward to the one goal, viz., the
goal of good, may be applied individually and nationally.
329

Solomon
Nehemiah and Ezra visit Jerusalem
Text: onepassed by a hamlet, all in ruin to its roots. He said: 'Oh! How shall God
bring it' (ever) to life, after (this) its death?'
Ali Commentary: This incident is referred variouslyto Ezekiel's vision of dry
bones (Ezekiel 37:1-10) to Nehemiah's visit to Jerusalem in ruins after the
Captivity, and to its re-building (Nehemiah 1:12-20)and to 'Uzair, or Ezra, or
Esdras, the scribe, priest, and reformer, who was sent by the Persian King after
the Captivity to Jerusalem
take the similitude of one who passed by a hamlet, all in ruin to its roots. He said: 'Oh! How
shall God bring it' (ever) to life, after (this) its death?'
(2:259) Or take the similitude of one [EZEKIEL, Nehemiah, Ezra] who passed by a hamlet [JERUSALEM], all in
ruin (304) to its roots. He [EZEKIEL, NEHEMIAH, EZRA] said: 'Oh! How shall God bring it [JERUSALEM]' (ever) to life,
after (this) its death?' But God caused him [EZEKIEL, NEHEMIAH, EZRA] to die for a hundred years, then raised
him [EZEKIEL, NEHEMIAH, EZRA] up (again). He [GOD] said: 'How long didst thou tarry thus?' He [EZEKIEL,
NEHEMIAH, EZRA] said: '(Perhaps) a day or part of a day'. He [GOD] said: 'Nay, thou [EZEKIEL, NEHEMIAH, EZRA]
hast tarried thus a hundred years; but look at thy food and thy drink; they show no signs of age; and look at
thy donkey: And that We may make of thee [EZEKIEL] a sign unto the people [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL], look further
at the bones [DRY BONES OF THE LOST TEN TRIBES OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL], how We bring them together and clothe
them with flesh' (305). When this was shown clearly to him [EZEKIEL], he said: 'I know that God hath power over
all things'.

This incident is referred variouslyto Ezekiel's vision of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-10) to
Nehemiah's visit to Jerusalem in ruins after the Captivity, and to its re-building (Nehemiah
1:12-20)and to 'Uzair, or Ezra, or Esdras, the scribe, priest, and reformer, who was sent by
the Persian King after the Captivity to Jerusalem, and about whom there are many Jewish
legends.I think it does refer not only to individual, but to national death and resurrection
(Note 304, verse 2:259 Ali commentary, page 105) This incident is referred [BY MUSLIM QUR'ANIC
COMMENTATORS] variously: (1) to Ezekiel's vision of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-10); (2) to Nehemiah's visit to
Jerusalem in ruins after the Captivity, and to its re-building (Nehemiah 1:12-20); and (3) to 'Uzair, or
330
Ezra, or Esdras, the scribe, priest, and reformer, who was sent by the Persian King after the Captivity
to Jerusalem, and about whom there are many Jewish legends. As to (1), there are only four words in
this verse about bones. As to (2) and (3), there is nothing specific to connect this verse with either.
The wording is perfectly general, and we must understand it as general. I think it does refer not only to
individual, but to national death and resurrection.
A man is in despair when he sees the destruction of a whole people, city, or civilisation. But
God can cause resurrection, as He has done many times in history, and as He will do at the
Final Resurrectionbefore the man's eyes the bones are reunited, clothed with flesh and
blood, and restored to life
(Note 305, verse 2:259 Ali commentary, page 105) A man is in despair when he sees the
destruction of a whole people, city, or civilisation. But God can cause resurrection, as He has done
many times in history, and as He will do at the Final Resurrection. Time is nothing before God. The
doubter thinks he is dead or has 'tarried thus' a day or less when the period has been a century. On
the other hand, the food and drink which he left behind is intact, and as fresh as it was when he left it.
But the donkey is not only dead, but nothing but bones is left of it. And before the man's [EZEKIEL'S]
eyes the bones [DRY BONES OF THE LOST TEN TRIBES OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL] are reunited, clothed with flesh
and blood, and restored to life. Moral: (1) Time is nothing to God; (2) It affects different things in
different ways; (3) The keys of life and death are in God's hands; (4) Man's power is nothing; h is faith
should be in God.
331

Solomon
Shechem and Jerusalem
Text: Joseph said to his father: 'O my father, I did see eleven stars and the sun
and the moon'
Ali Commentary: The place where Jacob and his family and flocks were located
was in Canaan, and is shown by tradition near modern Nablus (ancient Shechem),
some thirty miles north of Jerusalem
Joseph said to his father: 'O my father, I did see eleven stars and the sun and the moon'
(12:4) Behold, Joseph said to his father: 'O my father
moon: I saw them prostrate themselves to me!
(1632)
, I did see eleven stars and the sun and the

Jerusalem
332

Solomon
Mecca and Jerusalem
Text: Abraham said: 'O my Lord! Make this city one of peace and securityPraise
be to God, Who hath granted unto me in old age Isma'il and Isaac'
Ali Commentary: Jerusalem, for the Mosaic Law and the Gospel of Jesus, was the
center and symbol for the Jewish race, though of course all God's Truth is
universal
Abraham said: 'O my Lord! Make this city one of peace and securityPraise be to God, Who
hath granted unto me in old age Isma'il and Isaac: For truly my Lord is He, the Hearer of
Prayer!'
(14:35) Remember Abraham said (1912): 'O my Lord [GOD]! Make this city [MECCA] one of peace and
security: And preserve me [ABRAHAM] and my sons [ISHMAEL and Isaac] from worshipping idols (1913).
(14:36) 'O my Lord! They have indeed led astray many among mankind; he then who follows my (ways) is
of me, and he that disobeys me, but Thou art indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
(14:37) 'O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring [CHILDREN OF ISMA'IL] to dwell in a valley without
cultivation (1914), by Thy Sacred House [KA'BA]; in order, O our Lord, that they may establish regular Prayer:
So fill the hearts to some among men with love towards them, and feed them with Fruits (1915) so that they may
give thanks.
(14:38) 'O our Lord! Truly Thou dost know what we conceal and what we reveal: For nothing whatever is
hidden from God, whether on earth or in heaven (1916).
(14:39) 'Praise be to God, Who hath granted unto me in old age Isma'il and Isaac: For truly my Lord is He,
the Hearer of Prayer!' (1917).
(14:40) 'O my Lord! Make me one who establishes regular prayer, and also (raise such) among my
offspring [CHILDREN OF ISMA'IL AND CHILDREN OF JACOB (ISRAEL), ISAAC'S SON] (1918) O our Lord! And accept Thou my
prayer.
(14:41) 'O our Lord! (1919) Cover (us) (1920) with Thy Forgiveness me, my parents (1921), and (all) Believers on
the Day that the Reckoning will be established (1922).
333

Verses 35-36 are spoken by Abraham on his own behalf ('O my Lord!'); (2) Verses 37-38 are
spoken on behalf of his progeny ('O our Lord!) but with special reference to the elder branch,
the children of Isma'il; (3) Verses 39-40 are again a personal appeal, but both branches of his
family, viz., the sons of Isma'il and Isaac, are expressly mentioned; (4) Verse 41 is a Prayer
for himself, his parents, and all Believers, typifying that in the universality of Islam all nations
are to be blessed: Jerusalem, for the Mosaic Law and the Gospel of Jesus, was the center
and symbol for the Jewish race, though of course all God's Truth is universal; Makkah, the
center of the Arab race, was to throw off its tribal character and become universal
(Note 1912, verse 14:35 Ali commentary, page 630) This Prayer of Abraham, the True in Faith, the
progenitor of the Semitic peoples and the Prototype of their Religion, is introduced in this place, to
illustrate the points referred to in the preceding section, Sura 14:3-34, viz., how the new Revelation
through the Ka'ba bears out the universal Revelation of Prayer and Charity, Love of God and man,
Recognition of God's handiwork in nature, and insistence on man's turning away from false worship
and ingratitude to God. Notice the four divisions into which it falls: (1) Verses 35-36 are spoken by
Abraham on his own behalf ('O my Lord!'); (2) Verses 37-38 are spoken on behalf of his progeny ('O
our Lord!) but with special reference to the elder branch, the children of Isma'il; (3) Verses 39-40 are
again a personal appeal, but both branches of his family, viz., the sons of Isma'il and Isaac, are
expressly mentioned; (4) Verse 41 is a Prayer for himself, his parents, and all Believers, typifying that
in the universality of Islam all nations are to be blessed: Jerusalem, for the Mosaic Law and the
Gospel of Jesus, was the center and symbol for the Jewish race, though of course all God's Truth is
universal; Makkah, the center of the Arab race, was to throw off its tribal character and become
universal, in spite of the Makkans themselves.
Abraham asks a blessing on his handiwork and forgiveness for such lapses into idolatry as
both branches of his family might fall into
(Note 1913, verse 14:35 Ali commentary, page 630) Compare Sura 2:125-129, Abraham (with
Isma'il) built the Ka'ba, and Abraham asks a blessing on his handiwork and forgiveness for such
lapses into idolatry as both branches of his family [CHILDREN OF ISMA'IL AND CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] might fall
into.
The Makkan valley is enclosed by hills on all sidesbecause of its natural isolation, it is fitted
to be a center for Prayer and Praise
(Note 1914, verse 14:37 Ali commentary, page 630) The Makkan valley is enclosed by hills on all
sides, unlike Madinah, which has level and cultivated plains. But just because of its natural isolation, it
is fitted to be a center for Prayer and Praise.
334
The righteous, though they have to have sustenance, both in a literal and figurative sense,
require also the love and sympathy of their fellow-men
(Note 1915, verse 14:37 Ali commentary, page 631) Compare Sura 2:126, and note 128. (The
'Fruits' are there explained). The righteous, though they have to have sustenance, both in a literal and
figurative sense, require also the love and sympathy of their fellow-men.
He prays to God that they may be united in Islam

(Note 1916, verse 14:38 Ali commentary, page 631) In Abraham's prophetic mind was the secret,
and open enmity or contempt which the Children of Israel were to have for the Children of Isma'il
(Arabs). He prays to God that they may be united in Islam [SUBMISSION TO GOD].
Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born (Genesis 21:5)The younger son's
progeny developed the Faith of Israel
(Note 1917, verse 14:39 Ali commentary, page 631) Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was
born (Genesis 21:5); and Isma'il was 13 years old when Abraham was 99 (Genesis 17:24-25), Isma'il
was also a son of his father's old age having been born when Abraham was 86 years old. The
younger son's progeny [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] developed the Faith of Israel and that of Christ; the elder
son's progeny [CHILDREN OF ISHMAEL] perfected the more universal Faith of Islam, the Faith of Abraham
the True.
Abraham prays for both branches of his family

(Note 1918, verse 14:40 Ali commentary, page 631) Abraham prays for both branches of his family
[CHILDREN OF ISHMAEL AND CHILDREN OF ISRAEL], having a wider vision that some of the later Children of
Israel.
Having prayed for his progeny, Abraham now prays for God's grace on himself, his parents,
and the whole Brotherhood of Faith
(Note 1919, verse 14:41 Ali commentary, page 631) Read again note 1912 above. Having prayed
for his progeny [CHILDREN OF ISHMAEL AND CHILDREN OF ISRAEL], Abraham now prays for God's grace on
himself, his parents, and the whole Brotherhood of Faith, irrespective of family or race or time, to be
perfected in the ideal of Islam [SUBMISSION TO GOD].
(Note 1920, verse 14:41 Ali commentary, page 631) For the shades of meaning in the different
words for Forgiveness, see note 110 to Sura 2:109.
335
Abraham's heart was tender, and he prayed for forgiveness for his father because of a
promise which he had made (Sura 9:114) though he renounced the land of his fathers
(Chaldea)
(Note 1921, verse 14:41 Ali commentary, page 632) 'My parents': Abraham's father was an idolater
(Sura 43:26, Sura 6:74). Not only that, but he [ABRAHAM'S FATHER] persecuted the Faith of Unity and
threatened Abraham with stoning and exile (Sura 19:46); and he [ABRAHAM'S FATHER] and his people
[PEOPLE OF UR] cast him [ABRAHAM] into the Fire to be burned (Sura 21:52, 68). Yet Abraham's heart was
tender, and he prayed for forgiveness for his father because of a promise which he [ABRAHAM] had
made (Sura 9:114) though he [ABRAHAM] renounced the land of his fathers (Chaldea) [THE LAND OF UR
FOR THE LAND OF ISRAEL].
At the final Reckoning, all that may seem inequality or injustice in this world will be
redressed
(Note 1922, verse 14:41 Ali commentary, page 632) At the final Reckoning, all that may seem
inequality or injustice in this world will be redressed. But the merits of the best of us will need God's
Grace to establish us in that lasting Felicity which is promised to the righteous. And Abraham, as the
father of Prophecy, prayed for all, for the Universal Faith perfected in Islam.
336

Solomon
Melchizedek, King of Salem
Qur'an, Sura Kahf (The Cave), 18:65
Text: one of Our servants, on whom We had bestowed mercy from Ourselves'
Ali Commentary: Mechizedekking of Salem, priest of the Most High God
one of Our servants, on whom We had bestowed mercy from Ourselves and whom We had
taught knowledge from Our own presence
(18:65) So they [MOSES AND HIS ATTENDANT] found one (2411) of Our [GOD'S] servants [MELCHIZEDEK, KING OF
SALEM], on whom We had bestowed mercy from Ourselves and whom We had taught knowledge from Our
own (2412) presence.

The nearest equivalent figure in the literature of the People of the Book is Mechizedek or
Melchisedek (the Greek form in the New Testament). In Genesis 14:18-20, he appears as the
king of Salem, priest of the Most High God: He blesses Abraham, and Abraham gives him
tithes
(Note 2411, verse 18:65 Ali commentary, page 748) 'One of our servants': His name is not
mentioned in the Qur'an, but Tradition gives it as Khidhr. Round him have gathered a number of
picturesque folk tales, with which we are not here concerned. Khidhr means Green: His knowledge is
fresh and green, and drawn out of the living sources of life for it is drawn from God's own Presence.
He is a mysterious being, who has to be sought out. He has the secrets of some of the paradoxes of
Life, which ordinary people do not understand, or understand in a wrong sense, as we shall see
further on. The nearest equivalent figure in the literature of the People of the Book is Mechizedek or
Melchisedek (the Greek form in the New Testament). In Genesis 14:18-20, he appears as the king of
Salem, priest of the Most High God: He blesses Abraham, and Abraham gives him tithes . St. Paul
allegorises him in his Epistle to the Hebrews (5:6-10, 7:1-10): 'For he was without father, without
mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life'. This is to say, he appeared
mysteriously: Neither his parentage nor his pedigree is known, and he seems to live for all time. These
qualities are attributed to Khidhr in Muslim tradition.
337
Khidhr has two special gifts from God: (1) Mercy form His own Presence, and (2) Knowledge
from His own Presence
(Note 2422, verse 18:65 Ali commentary, page 748) Khidhr has two special gifts from God: (1)
Mercy form His own Presence, and (2) Knowledge from His own Presence. The first freed him from
the ordinary incidents of daily human life, and the second entitled him to interpret the inner meaning
and mystery of events, as we shall see further on. Much could be and has been written about this from
the mystic point of view.
338

Solomon
Nazareth, Bethlehem and Jerusalem
Qur'an, Sura Maryam (Mary), 19:22
Text: she retired with him to a remote place
Ali Commentary: Nazareth (of Galilee)65 miles north of Jerusalem
Bethlehem6 miles south of Jerusalem
she retired with him to a remote place
(19:22) So she [MARY] conceived him [JESUS], and she retired with him to a remote place (2475).

Nazareth (of Galilee)65 miles north of Jerusalem Bethlehem6 miles south of
Jerusalem
(Note 2475, verse 19:22 Ali commentary, page 772) The annunciation and the conception, we may
suppose, took place in Nazareth (of Galilee), say 65 miles north of Jerusalem. The delivery took place
in Bethlehem about 6 miles south of Jerusalem. It was a remote place, not only with reference to the
distance of 71 miles, but because in Bethlehem itself the birth in an obscure corner under a palm-tree,
from which perhaps the babe was afterwards removed to a manger in a stable.
339

Solomon
Solomon's Capital in Jerusalem
Text: Our powermade thewind flow (tamely) for Solomonto the land which
We had blessed
Ali Commentary: Palestine, in which was Solomon's capital
Our powermade the violent (unruly) wind flow (tamely) for Solomon to his order, to the land
which We had blessed
(21:81) (It was Our [GOD'S] power that made) the violent (unruly) wind flow (tamely) for Solomon
his order, to the land (2737) which We had blessed: For We do know all things.
(2736)
to

This has been interpreted to mean that Solomon had miraculous power over the winds, and
he could make them obey his order. Rationalists say that he had naval power on the
Mediterranean, and through the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea and that he therefore
figuratively commanded the winds
(Note 2736, verse 21:81 Ali commentary, page 840) Compare Sura 34:12 and Sura 38:36-38. This
has been interpreted to mean that Solomon had miraculous power over the winds, and he could make
them obey his order. Rationalists say that he had naval power on the Mediterranean, and through the
Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea and that he therefore figuratively commanded the winds, and we may
say the same of airmen at the present day In any case the power behind was, and is, from God, Who
has granted man intelligence and the faculties by which he can tame the more unruly forces of
nature.
Evidently, Palestine, in which was Solomon's capital, though his influence extended far north
in Syria and perhaps far south in Arabia and Ethiopia
(Note 2737, verse 21:81 Ali commentary, page 840) Evidently, Palestine, in which was Solomon's
capital [JERUSALEM], though his influence extended far north in Syria and perhaps far south in Arabia
and Ethiopia. In the Roman ruins of Baalbek, fifty miles north of Damascus, is still shown a quarry of
huge stones supposed to have been cut for Solomon. I have seen them with my own eyes. This local
tradition is interesting even if invented.
340
3.4.10 Jerusalem: Eternal Capital of the Israelite Kingdom of David

and Solomon
Moriah and Jerusalem
Text: 'Peace and salutation to Abraham!'For he was one of Our believing
Servants
Ali Commentary: the hill of Moriah on which Jerusalem was afterwards built
'Peace and salutation to Abraham!'For he was one of Our believing Servants
(37:103) So when they [ABRAHAM, Ishmael AND/OR ISAAC] had both [ABRAHAM, ISHMAEL AND/OR ISAAC] submitted
their wills (to God), and he [ABRAHAM] had laid him [ISHMAEL, ISAAC OR BOTH] prostrate on his [ISHMAEL, ISAAC OR
(4101)
BOTH] forehead (for sacrifice)
,
(37:104) We [GOD] called out to him, 'O Abraham!
(37:105) 'Thou [ABRAHAM] hast already fulfilled the vision!' Thus indeed do We reward those who do right
(37:106) For this was obviously a trial (37:107) And We ransomed him [ABRAHAM] with a momentous sacrifice,
(37:108) And We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times:
(37:109) 'Peace and salutation to Abraham!'
(37:110) Thus indeed do We reward those who do right,
(37:111) For he [ABRAHAM] was one of Our believing Servants.

the hill of Moriah on which Jerusalem was afterwards built
(Note 4101, verse 37:103 Ali commentary, page 1205) the hill of Moriah on which Jerusalem was
afterwards built.
341
3.4.11 Jerusalem: Eternal Capital of the Israelite Kingdom of David

and Solomon
Mount of Olives and Jerusalem
Qur'an, Sura Tin (The Fig), 95:1-6
Text: the Olive
Ali Commentary: it is possible that the Olive here refers to the Mount of Olives,
just outside the walls of the City of Jerusalem
By the Fig and the Olive, and the Mount of Sinai
(95:1) By the Fig and the Olive (6195),
(95:2) And the Mount of Sinai,
(95:3) And this City of security,
(95:4) We [GOD] have indeed created man in the best of moulds (6199),
(95:5) Then do We abase him (to be) the lowest of the low,
(95:6) Except such as believe and do righteous deeds: For they shall have a reward unfailing.

it is possible that the Olive here refers to the Mount of Olives, just outside the walls of the
City of Jerusalem
(Note 6195, verse 95:1 Ali commentary, page 1758) For the sacred symbolism of the Olive, see
note 2880 to Sura 23:20, and notes 3000-3002 to Sura 24:35, where the parable of God's Light
includes a reference to the Olive. But it is possible that the Olive here refers to the Mount of Olives,
just outside the walls of the City of Jerusalem (see note 5038, to Sura 3:2), for this is the scene in the
Gospel story (Matthew 24:3-4) of Christ's description of the Judgment to come.
342
Section Three
Chapter Five
The Tabernacle and the First, Second and Third Temples of
Jerusalem of the Children of Israel
343
Index of Verses
Section Three, Chapter Five, Tabernacle and Temples
3.5.2 Sura Nur (Light), 24:35-38, page 346
3.5.6 Sura Saba (City of Saba), 34:10-14, page 352
3.5.7 Sura Sad (Being one of the Abbreviated Letters), 38:30-40, page 356
3.5.8 Sura Ali-i-Imran (The Family of Imran), 3:33-37, page 360
3.5.9 Sura Maryam (Mary), 19:16, page 363
3.5.10 Sura Ali-i-Imran (The Family of Imran), 3:45-46, page 364
3.5.12 Sura Tur (The Mount), 52:1-10, page 368
3.5.13 Sura al-Isra (The Night Journey), 17:1-8, page 370
3.5.16 Sura al-Isra (The Night Journey), 17:8, page 379
344
3.5.1 The Tabernacle and the First, Second and Third Temples of
Freedom of Worship on the Temple Mount of Jerusalem
Text: who is more unjust than he who forbids that in places for the worship of
God, God's name should not be celebrated?
Ali Commentary: This verse, taken in a general sense, establishes the principle of
freedom of worship in a public mosque or place dedicated to the worship of God.
This is recognized in Muslim lawSo long as a person enters reverently and does
nothing outwardly to cause offense to the other worshippers, he has a right to go
and worship in a public place set apart for God's worship
And who is more unjust than he who forbids that in places for the worship of God, God's name
should not be celebrated? Whose zeal is (in fact) to ruin them?
(2:114) And who is more unjust than he who forbids (117) that in places for the worship of God, God's name
should not be celebrated? Whose zeal is (in fact) to ruin them? It was not fitting that such should themselves
enter them except in fear. For them there is nothing but disgrace in this world, and in the world to come, an
exceeding torment.

This verse, taken in a general sense, establishes the principle of freedom of worship in a
public mosque or place dedicated to the worship of God. This is recognized in Muslim law
So long as a person enters reverently and does nothing outwardly to cause offense to the
other worshippers, he has a right to go and worship in a public place set apart for God's
worship
(Note 117, verse 2:114 Ali commentary, page 49) There were actually Pagans in Mecca who tried
to shut out the Muslim Arabs from the Ka'ba, the universal place of Arab worship. The Pagans
themselves called it the House of God. With what face could they exclude the Muslims, who wanted to
worship the true God instead of worshipping idols? If these Pagans had succeeded, they would only
have caused violent divisions among the Arabs and destroyed the sanctity and the very existence of
the Ka'ba.
This verse, taken in a general sense, establishes the principle of freedom of worship in a public
mosque or place dedicated to the worship of God. This is recognized in Muslim law. There may be
differences of opinion between one individual and another, or between one group and another as to
345
the nature of God or the proper mode of worship but no tests can be laid down, nor can one individual
or sect exclude another. So long as a person enters reverently and does nothing outwardly to cause
offense to the other worshippers, he has a right to go and worship in a public place set apart for God's
worship.
346
3.5.2 The Tabernacle and the First, Second and Third Temples of
The Temple Mount of Jerusalem, a Place of Pure Worship
Qur'an, Sura Nur (Light), 24:35-38
Text: God is the Light of the heavens and the earth God doth guide whom He
will to His Light(Lit is such a Light) in houses, which God hath permitted to be
raised to honour; for the celebration, in them, of His name: In them is He glorified
in the mornings and in the evenings, (again and again
Ali Commentary: in all places of pure worshipsome Commentators understand
special Mosques, such asMosques inJerusalem; for these are specially held in
honour
God is the Light of the heavens and the earth God doth guide whom He will to His Light
(Lit is such a Light) in houses, which God hath permitted to be raised (3005) to honour; for the
celebration, in them, of His name: In them is He glorified in the mornings and in the evenings,
(again and again)By men whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert from the
Remembrance of God, nor from regular Prayer, nor from the practice of regular Charity
(24:35) God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche
and within it a Lamp; the Lamp enclosed in Glass: The glass as it were a brilliant star: Li from a blessed
Tree, an Olive, neither of the East nor of the West, whose Oil is well-nigh Luminous, though fire scarce
touched it: Light upon Light! God doth guide whom He will to His Light: God doth set forth Parables for
men: And God doth know all things:
(24:36) (Lit is such a Light) in houses, which God hath permitted to be raised (3005) to honour; for the
celebration, in them, of His name: In them is He glorified in the mornings and in the evenings, (again and
again),
(24:37) By men whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert from the Remembrance of God, nor from
regular Prayer, nor from the practice of regular Charity: Their (only) fear is for the Day when hearts and
eyes will be transformed (in a world wholly new),
(24:38) That God may reward them according to the best of their deeds, and add even more for them out of
His Grace: For God doth provide for those whom He will, without measure.
347

in all places of pure worship; but some Commentators understand special Mosques, such as
the Ka'ba in Makkah or Mosques in Madinah or Jerusalem; for these are specially held in
honour
(Note 3005, verse 24:36 Ali commentary, page 908) That is, in all places of pure worship; but some
Commentators understand special Mosques, such as the Ka'ba in Makkah or Mosques in Madinah or
Jerusalem; for these are specially held in honour.
348
3.5.3 Tabernacle of the Children of Israel

Priesthood of the Israelite Tribe of Levi
Text: Each group knew its own place
Ali Commentary: Levi's family got the priesthood and the care of the Tabernacle
Each group knew its own place
(2:60) And remember Moses prayed for water for his people [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL]; We [GOD] said: 'Strike the
Rock with thy staff'. Then gushed forth therefrom twelve springs. Each group [OF THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL]
(73)
knew its own place for water. So eat and drink of the sustenance provided by God, and do no evil nor
mischief on the (face of the) earth.

Levi's family got the priesthood and the care of the Tabernacle; they were exempted from
military duties for which the census was taken (Numbers 1:47-53), and therefore from the
distribution of land in Canaan (Joshua 14:3); they were distributed among all the tribes, and
were really a privileged caste and not numbered among the Tribes; Moses and Aaron
belonged to the House of Levi
(Note 73, verse 2:60 Ali commentary, page 32) Here we have a reference to the tribal organization
of the Jews, which played a great part in their forty years march through the Arabian deserts
(Numbers 1 and 2) and their subsequent settlement in the land of Canaan (Joshua 22 and 14). The
twelve tribes were derived from the sons of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel (soldier of
God) after he had wrestled, says Jewish tradition, with God (Genesis 32:28). Israel had twelve sons
(Genesis 35:13-26), including Levi and Joseph. The descendants of these twelve sons were the
'Children of Israel'. Levi's family got the priesthood and the care of the T abernacle; they were
exempted from military duties for which the census was taken (Numbers 1:47-53), and therefore from
the distribution of land in Canaan (Joshua 14:3); they were distributed among all the tribes, and were
really a privileged caste and not numbered among the Tribes; Moses and Aaron belonged to the
House of Levi.
349
3.5.4 The Tabernacle and First Temple of Jerusalem of the Children of

Israel
Ark of the Covenant
Text: there shall come to you the Ark of the Covenant
Ali Commentary: Ark of the Covenantto contain the 'testimony of God'Ten
Commandmentsrelics of Moses and AaronThis was a sacred possession to
Israel was apparently taken to the capital when kingship was instituted a
symbol of God's Glory in the Tabernacle or tent in which the Ark was kept, or in
the Temple, when it was built by Solomon
'A sign of his authority is that there shall come to you the Ark of the Covenant, with (an
assurance) therein of security from your Lord, and the relics left by the family of Moses and the
family of Aaron, carried by angels'
(2:248) And (further) their Prophet [SAMUEL] said to them: 'A sign of his [SAUL'S] authority is that there shall
come to you the Ark of the Covenant (281), with (an assurance) therein of security (282) from your Lord, and the
relics left by the family of Moses and the family of Aaron, carried by angels (283). In this is a symbol for you if
ye indeed have Faith'.

Ark of the Covenant: Tabut: A chest of acacia wood covered and lined with pure gold.It
was to contain the 'testimony of God', or the Ten Commandments engraved on stone, with
relics of Moses and AaronThis was a sacred possession to Israel
(Note 281, verse 2:248 Ali commentary, page 99) 'Ark of the Covenant': Tabut: A chest of acacia
wood covered and lined with pure gold, about 6ft x 3ft x 3ft. See Exodus 25:10-22. It was to contain
the 'testimony of God', or the Ten Commandments engraved on stone, with relics of Moses and
Aaron. Its Gold lid was to be the 'Mercy Seat' with two cherubim (angels) of beaten gold, with wings
outstretched. This was a sacred possession to Israel.
350
it remained in a village for twenty years and was apparently taken to the capital when
kingship was instituted
(Note 281, verse 2:248 Ali commentary, page 99 continued) It was lost to the enemy in the early
part of Samuel's ministry; see note 278 to Sura 2:246; when it came back, it remained in a village for
twenty years and was apparently taken to the capital [JERUSALEM] when kingship was instituted. It thus
became a symbol of unity and authority.
a symbol of God's Glory in the Tabernacle or tent in which the Ark was kept, or in the
Temple, when it was built by Solomon
(Note 282, verse 2:248 Ali commentary, page 99) 'Security': sakina - safety, tranquility, peace. Later
Jewish writings use the same word for a symbol of God's Glory in the Tabernacle or tent in which the
Ark was kept, or in the Temple, when it was built by Solomon.
the cherubim with outstretched wings on the lid may well be supposed to carry the security
or peace which the Ark symbolized
(Note 283, verse 2:248 Ali commentary, page 99) 'Carried by angels': These words refer to the
Tabut or Ark, the cherubim with outstretched wings on the lid may well be supposed to carry the
security or peace which the Ark symbolised.
351
3.5.5 The First Temple of Jerusalem of the Children of Israel

Text: O Children of Israel! Call to mind the special favour which I bestowed upon
you
Ali Commentary: the Temple of Jerusalem was built
O Children of Israel! Call to mind the special favour which I bestowed upon you, and that I
(2:122) O Children of Israel! Call to mind the special favour which I [GOD] bestowed upon you, and that I
preferred you to all others (for My Message) (121).

Abraham and Isma'il together built the House of God in Mecca (long before the Temple of
Jerusalem was built) Historically, the Temple of Mecca must have been a far more ancient
place of worship than the Temple of Jerusalem
(Note 121, verse 2:122 Ali commentary, page 32) The argument now proceeds on another line. Ye
People of the Book who go back to Abraham! Not only is your claim to exclusive knowledge of God
false and derogatory to the Lord of All the Worlds. If you must appeal to Abraham, he was also the
progenitor of the Arab race through Isma'il. Indeed, Abraham and Isma'il together built the House of
God in Mecca (long before the Temple of Jerusalem was built). They purified it and laid the
foundations of the universal religion, which is summed up in the word Islam or complete submission to
the Will of God. Abraham and Isma'il were thus true Muslims. Whence then your rancour against
Islam?
Historically, the Temple of Mecca must have been a far more ancient place of worship than the
Temple of Jerusalem. Arab tradition connects various places in and around Mecca with the name of
Abraham and identifies the well of Zam-zam with the well in the story of the child Isma'il. Arab tradition
also refers the story of the Sacrifice to Isma'il and not to Isaac, therein differing from the Jewish
tradition in Genesis 22:1-19.
352

Quran, Sura Saba (City of Saba), 34:10-14
Text: to SolomonWe made a Font of molten brass to flow for him
Ali Commentary: The building of the Temple was a great event in Israelite
history
And to SolomonWe made a Font of molten brass to flow for him(making) Arches, images,
Basons as large as Reservoirs, and (cooking) Cauldrons fixed (in their places)
(34:10) We bestowed Grace aforetime on David from Ourselves (3799): 'O ye Mountains! Sing ye back the
Praises of God with him! And ye birds (also)! And We made the iron soft for him (3800);
(34:11) (Commanding), 'Make thou coats of mail, balancing well
(ye) righteousness (3802), for be sure I see (clearly) all that ye do'.
(3801)
the rings of chain armour, and work
(34:12) And to Solomon (We made) the Wind (obedient) (3803): its early morning (stride) was a month's
(journey), and its evening (stride) was a month's (journey); and We made a Font (3804) of molten brass to flow
for him; and there were jinns that worked in front (3805) of him, by the leave of his Lord, and if any of them
turned aside from Our command, We made him taste of the Penalty of the Blazing Fire.
(34:13) They worked for him as he desired, (making) Arches (3806), images, Basons as large as Reservoirs,
and (cooking) Cauldrons fixed (in their places): 'Work ye (3807), sons of David, with thanks! But few of My
servants are Grateful!'
(34:14) Then, when We decreed (Solomon's) death, nothing showed them his death except a little (3808) worm
of the earth, which kept (slowly) gnawing away at his staff; so when he fell down, the Jinn's (3809) saw plainly
that if they had known the unseen, they would not have tarried in the humiliating Penalty (of their Task).

David had the gift of song and sacred music, and this is shown in his Psalms
(Note 3799, verse 34:10 Ali commentary, page 1136) Compare Sura 21:79-80, and notes 27332734. David had the gift of song and sacred music, and this is shown in his Psalms. All nature hills
and birds sing and echo back the Praises of God.
These, in the literal sense, are coats of mail, and defensive armour, and the manufacture of
them is traditionally attributed to David
(Note 3800, verse 34:10 Ali commentary, page 1136) Iron or steel is hard stuff: But in the hands of
a craftsman it becomes soft and pliable, and with it can be made instruments for the defense of
353
righteousness. These, in the literal sense, are coats of mail, and defensive armour, and the
manufacture of them is traditionally attributed to David. But, for warfare in the moral and spiritual world
also, armour is required, and this can be made of some of the toughest and hardest facts of life.
(Note 3801, verse 34:11 Ali commentary, page 1136) Coats of chain armour have to be made with
cunning art, if the chains are to fit into each other and the whole garment is to be worn in comfort in
fierce warfare.
Davidwas the artificer of defensive armourHe made the armour, but it was to be worn not only
by him but all the [ISRAELITE] warriors. But he and all his people were to be careful to see that they did
not deviate from the paths of righteousness
(Note 3802, verse 34:11 Ali commentary, page 1136) Note the transition from the singular, 'make
them coats of mail', to the plural 'and work ye righteousness'. The first is addressed to David, who was
the artificer of defensive armour; and the second is addressed to him and his whole people [CHILDREN
OF ISRAEL]. He made the armour, but it was to be worn not only by him but all the [ISRAELITE] warriors. But
he and all his people were to be careful to see that they did not deviate from the paths of
righteousness. Fighting is a dangerous weapon and may well degenerate (as it so often does) into
mere violence. They were to see that this should not happen, and they were told that God was
watching over them all with the personal solicitude implied in the singular pronoun 'I'.
The winds are swift and can cover in a short morning's or evening's flight the distance which
it takes a whole month to cover on foot or by bullock cart. In our own day, with air speeds of
400 miles and more per hour, this seems a moderate statement
(Note 3803, verse 34:12 Ali commentary, page 1136) Compare Sura 21:81-82, note 2736, and Sura
38:36-38. See also Sura 27:38-39. The winds are swift and can cover in a short morning's or evening's
flight the distance which it takes a whole month to cover on foot or by bullock cart. In our own day, with
air speeds of 400 miles and more per hour, this seems a moderate statement.
In the Old Testament, 2. Chronicles, Chapters 3 and 4, are described the various costly
materials with which Solomon's Temple was built, and it was furnished with vessels, candlesticks, lamps, censers, etc.
(Note 3804, verse 34:12 Ali commentary, page 1136) In the Old Testament [TANACH], 2. Chronicles,
Chapters 3 and 4, are described the various costly materials with which Solomon's Temple was built,
and it was furnished with vessels, candle-sticks, lamps, censers, etc. 'Solomon made all these vessels
in great abundance: For the weight of the brass could not be found out' (2 Chronicles, 4:18). 'Also he
made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height
thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about' (2. Chronicles, 4:2). The receptacle or
'sea' or Font was made of molten brass; presumably it contained flowing water for washing with.
354
the skilled workers who worked heart and soul for the Templeare addressed as the
'Sons of David'
(Note 3805, verse 34:12 Ali commentary, page 1137) See Sura 27:17 and note 3257. The
workers who are called Jinns were only rough workers, working 'in front of Solomon', i.e., under his
eyes and the supervision of his men. They should be distinguished from the skilled workers who
worked heart and soul for the Temple, and who are addressed as the 'Sons of David' in the next
verse.
the reference here is to the Temple of Solomon.'Arches' would be structured Ornaments

in the Temple
(Note 3806, verse 34:13 Ali commentary, page 1137) Mihrab (Plural Maharib), translated 'arch',
may be applied to any fine, elevated, spacious architectural structure. As the reference here is to the
Temple of Solomon, the word 'arches' is I think most appropriate. 'Arches' would be structured
Ornaments in the Temple. Images would like the images of oxen and Cherubim mentioned in 2.
Chronicles, 4:3 and 3:14, the Basons (2 Chronicles 4:22) were perhaps huge dishes round which
many men could sit together and eat, according to ancient Eastern custom, while the cooking
Cauldrons or Pots (2. Chronicles, 4:16), were fixed in one place, being so large in capacity that they
could not be moved about. Indian readers will get some idea of them from the huge cooking Degs,
which they use in the 'Urs at Ajmir Sharif.
The building of the Temple was a great event in Israelite history. The motto here given is
'Work!'; for only that would justify, the maintenance of the kingdom of David, which reached its
zenith under Solomon. Without work, both literally and figuratively for 'righteous deeds', all
that glory and power would be out of place
(Note 3807, verse 34:13 Ali commentary, page 1137) The building of the Temple was a great
event in Israelite history. The motto here given is 'Work!'; for only that would justify, the maintenance
of the kingdom of David, which reached its zenith under Solomon. Without work, both literally and
figuratively for 'righteous deeds', all that glory and power would be out of place, and it fell away in a
few generations, with the decline of the moral spirit which was at its back.
in David's story above, his mighty strength as a warrior (see Sura 2:251) and his skill in
making armour are only to be valued when used, as it was used, in the service of God, in
righteous works
(Note 3808, verse 34:14 Ali commentary, page 1137) This allegory illustrates three points: (1)
However great and glorious human power and grandeur may be, it is only for a time, and it may fade
away even before people know of its decline; (2) The most remarkable events may be brought to light,
not by a flourish of trumpets, but by a humble individual, unknown and unseen, who works
imperceptibly and undermines even so strong a thing as a staff, on which a great man may lean; (3)
Work done by men merely on the basis of brute strength or fear, as in the case of the Jinn's, will not
355
endure. This is brought up in strong contrast against the Power and Majesty of God, which will endure,
which cannot be sapped, and which can only be fully appreciated by a training of the will and heart. In
the same way, in David's story above, his mighty strength as a warrior (see Sura 2:251) and his skill in
making armour are only to be valued when used, as it was used, in the service of God, in righteous
works (Sura 34:11).
The people who worked at the Temple of Solomon as the People of David worked gloried in
their work as a thanksgiving to God, and their work became sanctified
(Note 3809, verse 34:14 Ali commentary, page 1138) The Jinns looked upon their work as a
Penalty, and so it became to them. The people who worked at the Temple of Solomon as the People
of David worked gloried in their work as a thanksgiving to God, and their work became sanctified. The
Jinn's knew nothing of hidden secrets; they only saw the obvious, and had not even the significance of
the little worm that slowly gnawed away at Solomon's staff.
356

Quran, Sura Sad (Being One of the Abbreviated Letters), 38:30-40
Text: Solomondid turn (to Us in true devotion)
Ali Commentary: Solomon completed the Temple in Jerusalem for the worship
of the One True God
We did try Solomon: We placed on his throne a body (without life) but he did turn (to Us in true
devotion)
(38:30) To David We [GOD] gave Solomon (for a son)
[SOLOMON] turn (to Us)!
(4182)
, how excellent in Our service! Ever did he
(38:31) Behold, there were brought (4183) before him [SOLOMON], at eventide, coursers of the highest breeding
(4184)
, and swift of foot;
(38:32) And he [SOLOMON] said, 'Truly do I love the love
until (the sun) was hidden in the veil (of Night) (4186):
(4185)
of Good, with a view to the glory of my Lord,
(38:33) Bring them back to me'. Then began he to pass his hand over (their) legs and their necks.
(38:34) And We did try (4188) Solomon: We placed on his throne a body
Us in true devotion):
(4189)
(without life) but he did turn (to
(38:35) He [SOLOMON] said, 'O my Lord! Forgive me (4190), and grant me (4191) a Kingdom which (it may be),
suits not another after me: For Thou art the Grantor (4192) of Bounties (without measure).
(38:36) Then We subjected the Wind
whithersoever he willed,
(4193)
to his [SOLOMON'S] power, to flow gently to his order,
(38:37) As also the evil ones (4194), (including) every kind of builder and diver,
(38:38) As also the others bound (4195) bound together in fetters.
(38:39) 'Such are Our Bounties: Whether thou bestow them
will be asked'.
(38:40) And he [SOLOMON] enjoyed, indeed
(final) Return.
(4196)
(on others) or withhold them, no account
(4197)
, a near Approach to Us [GOD], and a beautiful Place of
357

Referring back to the story of David, we are now introduced to Solomon, who was a great
king but greater still because he served God and turned to Him
(Note 4182, verse 38:30 Ali commentary, page 1224) The greatest in this life have yet need of this
spiritual blessing! Without it all worldly good is futile. Referring back to the story of David, we are now
introduced to Solomon, who was a great king but greater still because he served God and turned to
Him. The Qur'anrepresents Solomon as a righteous king.
(Note 4183, verse 38:31 Ali commentary, page 1224) The passages about David and Solomon
have been variously interpreted by the Commentators. The versions which I have suggested have
good authority behind them, though I have followed my own judgment in filling in the details.
(Note 4184, verse 38:31 Ali commentary, page 1225) Safinat: Literally, horses that stand when at
ease, on three legs, firmly planted, with the hoof of the fourth leg resting slightly on the ground. This
would imply breeding and a steady temper, to match with their quality of swiftness mentioned in the
next clause.
like his father David, Solomon was also most meticulous in not allowing the least motive of
self to be mixed up with his spiritual vision
(Note 4185, verse 38:32 Ali commentary, page 1225) The story is not found in the Old Testament
[TANACH]. I interpret it to mean that, like his father David, Solomon was also most meticulous in not
allowing the least motive of self to be mixed up with his spiritual vision. He was fond of horses; he had
great armies and wealth; but he used them all in God's service. Compare Sura 27:19, note 3259; Sura
27:40, note 3276, etc. His battles were not fought for lust of blood, but as Jihad in the cause of
righteousness. His love of horses was not like that of a mere race-goer or of a warrior: There was a
spiritual element in it. He loved by a kind of love which was spiritual, the love of the highest Good.
(Note 4186, verse 38:32 Ali commentary, page 1225) His review of his fine horses was interrupted
by his evening devotion, but he resumed it after his devotions.
(Note 4187, verse 38:33 Ali commentary, page 1225) Like all lovers of horses, he patted them on
their necks and passed his hands over their fore-legs and was proud of having them not as vanities
but as a 'lover of Good'.
358
What was the trial of Solomon? All the power, wealth, and glory, which were given to him
were a spiritual trial to him. They might have turned another man's head, but he was staunch
and true
(Note 4188, verse 38:34 Ali commentary, page 1225) What was the trial of Solomon? All the power,
wealth, and glory, which were given to him were a spiritual trial to him. They might have turned
another man's head, but he was staunch and true, and while he enjoyed and used all the power he
had over the jinns, men, and the forces of nature, (see below), he kept his mind steady to the
service of God. Compare Sura 8:28, where 'your possessions and your progeny' are declared to be
'but a trial'.
Solomon did turn to God in true devotion and his real power lay there. He did his best to root
out idolatry, and he completed the Temple in Jerusalem for the worship of the One True God.
Compare his conversion of Bilqis the Queen of Sheba, Sura 27:40, note 3276
(Note 4189, verse 38:34 Ali commentary, page 1225) The body on his throne has been variously
interpreted. The interpretation that appeals to me most is that his earthly power, great as it was, was
like a body without a soul, unless it was vivified by God's spirit. But Solomon did turn to God in true
devotion and his real power lay there. He did his best to root out idolatry, and he completed the
Temple in Jerusalem for the worship of the One True God. Compare his conversion of Bilqis the
Queen of Sheba, Sura 27:40, note 3276. See also Sura 8:148, where the same word Jasad is used in
connection with the image of a calf which the Israelites had set up for worship in the absence of
Moses. Men may worship worldly Power as they may worship an idol and there is a great temptation
in such Power, though Solomon withstood such temptations.
The seeking of worldly Power, even if intended to be used for God's service, has a little of
Self in it. It may be quite legitimate and even meritorious in ordinary men, but even the
thought of it in a Prophet is to be apologised for
(Note 4190, verse 38:35 Ali commentary, page 1225) The seeking of worldly Power, even if
intended to be used for God's service, has a little of Self in it. It may be quite legitimate and even
meritorious in ordinary men, but even the thought of it in a Prophet is to be apologised for. See a
similar idea in the case of David explained in note 4176 to Sura 38:24 above.
He asked for a Power that he would not misuse, though others might not be able to refrain
from misusing it
(Note 4191, verse 38:35 Ali commentary, page 1225) He asked for a Power that he would not
misuse, though others might not be able to refrain from misusing it, such as power over forces of
nature or forces of violence (see the next three verses).
(Note 4192, verse 38:35 Ali commentary, page 1226) Compare Sura 38:9 above.
359
(Note 4193, verse 38:36 Ali commentary, page 1226) Compare Sura 21:81, and note 2736.
(Note 4194, verse 38:37 Ali commentary, page 1226) Compare Sura 21:82, and note 2738.
Compare also Sura 34:12-13 and notes there: In the latter passage the spirits mentioned are called
Jinn's. The divers were probably those employed in pearl-fisheries.
(Note 4195, verse 38:38 Ali commentary, page 1226) Compare Sura 14:49, where the same
expression 'bound together in fetters' is applied to Sinners on the Day of Judgment.
God bestowed such abundant powers and bounties on Solomon that they could not be
counted or measured: And he was free to give away anything he liked or to keep anything he
liked. In this was great temptation for an ordinary man. Solomon as a prophet withstood it and
asked to be forgiven for power and such a kingdom as others might not be able to use
lawfully
(Note 4196, verse 38:39 Ali commentary, page 1226) God bestowed such abundant powers and
bounties on Solomon that they could not be counted or measured: And he was free to give away
anything he liked or to keep anything he liked. In this was great temptation for an ordinary man.
Solomon as a prophet withstood it and asked to be forgiven for power and such a kingdom as others
might not be able to use lawfully. His earthly kingdom went to pieces after his death. But his name and
fame endure. And what is more, he obtained a place among the Nearest Ones to God. See next
verse.
the two greatest kings in Israel

(Note 4197, verse 38:40 Ali commentary, page 1226) The same words are used of David in Sura
38:25 above, thus symmetrically closing the argument about the two greatest kings in Israel.
360
3.5.8 The Second Temple of Jerusalem of the Children of Israel

Mary and the Temple
Quran, Sura Ali-i-Imran (The Family of Imran), 3:33-37
Text: Every time that he entered (her) chamber to see her, he found her supplied
with sustenance
Ali Commentary: The female child could not be devoted to Temple service, under
the Mosaic Law, as she intended Some apocryphal Christian writings say that
she was brought up in the Temple to the age of twelve like a dove, and that she
was fed by angels
Every time that he entered (her) chamber to see her, he found her supplied with sustenance
(3:33) God did choose Adam and Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of Imran above all people,
(3:34) Offspring, one of the other (374): And God hearest and knoweth all things.
(3:35) Behold! A woman of Imran (375) said: 'O my Lord! I do dedicate unto Thee what is in my womb for
Thy special service (376), so accept this of me: For Thou hearest and knowest all things'.
(3:36) When she [HANNAH] was delivered, she said: 'O my Lord! Behold! I am delivered of a female child
[MARY]!'' And God knew best what she [HANNAH] brought forth (377) 'And nowise is the male like the female'
(378)
. I [HANNAH] have named her Mary, and I [HANNAH] commend her [MARY] and her offspring [JESUS] to Thy
protection from the Evil One, the Rejected'.
(3:37) Right graciously did her Lord accept her: He made her grow in purity and beauty: To the care of
Zakariya was she assigned. Every time that he entered (her) chamber to see her, he found her supplied with
sustenance. He said: 'O Mary! Whence (comes) this to you?' She said: 'From God: For God provides
sustenance to whom He pleases, without measure' (379).

The Prophets in the Jewish-Christian-Muslim Dispensation form one family literally. But the
argument is wider. All men of faith form spiritually one family
(Note 374, verse 3:34 Ali commentary, page 132) The Prophets in the Jewish-Christian-Muslim
Dispensation form one family literally. But the argument is wider. All men of faith form spiritually one
family. If you love and obey God, love and obey His Messenger who is actually present with you (in
the flesh or in his teaching). Your love, obedience and discipline will be the test of your faith.
361
Elisabeth was of the daughters of Aaron (Luke 1:5), of a priestly family which went back to
Aaron the brother of Moses and son of Imran. Her husband Zakariya was actually a priest,
and her cousin Mary was presumably also of a priestly family. By tradition, Mary's mother was
called Hannah (in Latin, Anna, and in English, Anne), and her father was called Imran.
Hannah is therefore both a descendant of the priestly house of Imran and the wife of Imran
(Note 375, verse 3:35 Ali commentary, page 132) Now we begin the story of Jesus. As a prelude
we have the birth of Mary and the parallel story of John the Baptist, Yahya the son of Zakariya.
Yahya's mother Elisabeth was a cousin of Mary the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:36), and therefore John
and Jesus were cousins by blood, and there was a spiritual cousinhood in their birth and career.
Elisabeth was of the daughters of Aaron (Luke 1:5), of a priestly family which went back to Aaron the
brother of Moses and son of Imran. Her husband Zakariya was actually a priest, and her cousin Mary
was presumably also of a priestly family. By tradition, Mary's mother was called Hannah (in Latin,
Anna, and in English, Anne), and her father was called Imran. Hannah is therefore both a descendant
of the priestly house of Imran and the wife of Imran, 'a woman of Imran' in a double sense.
(Note 376, verse 3:35 Ali commentary, page 132) Muharrar: Freed from all worldly affairs and
specially dedicated to God's service. She expected a son, who was to be a special devotee, a
miraculous son of the old age of his parents, but God gave her instead a daughter. But that daughter
was Mary the mother of Jesus, the chosen one among the women: Sura 3:42.
(Note 377, verse 3:36 Ali commentary, page 132) The mother of Mary expected a male child.
Was she disappointed that it was a female child? No, for she had Faith, and she knew that God's Plan
was better than any wishes of hers. Mary was no ordinary girl: Only God knew what it was that her
mother brought forth.
The female child could not be devoted to Temple service, under the Mosaic Law, as she
intended
(Note 378, verse 3:36 Ali commentary, page 132) The female child [MARY] could not be devoted to
Temple service, under the Mosaic Law, as she [HANNAH] intended. But she [MARY] was marked out for a
special destiny as a miracle-child, to be the mother of the miracle-child Jesus. She [HANNAH] was
content to seek God's protection for her [MARY] against all evil. There is a certain sense of pride in the
girl [MARY] on the part of the mother [HANNAH].
Some apocryphal Christian writings say that she was brought up in the Temple to the age of
twelve like a dove, and that she was fed by angels
(Note 379, verse 3:37 Ali commentary, page 132) Mary grew under God's special protection. Her
sustenance, under which we may include both her physical needs and her spiritual food, came from
God, and her growth was indeed a 'goodly growth' which I have tried to express in the Text by the
362
words 'purity and beauty'. Some apocryphal Christian writings say that she was brought up in the
Temple to the age of twelve like a dove, and that she was fed by angels.
363

Mary and the Temple
Quran, Sura Maryam (Mary), 19:16
Text: a place in the East
Ali Commentary: To a private eastern chamber, perhaps in the Temple
she withdrew from her family to a place in the East
(19:16) Relate in the Book (the story of) Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place in the East
(2471)
.

To a private eastern chamber, perhaps in the Temple
(Note 2471, verse 19:16 Ali commentary, page 771) To a private eastern chamber, perhaps in the
Temple. She went into privacy, from her people and from people in general, for prayer and devotion. It
was in this state of purity that the angel appeared to her in the shape of a man. She thought it was a
man. She was frightened, and she adjured him not to invade her privacy.
364

Jesus and the Temple
Quran, Sura Ali-i-Imran (The Family of Imran), 3:45-46
Text: He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity
Ali Commentary: the Gospel of Luke (2:46) describes him as disputing with the
doctors in the Temple at the age of 12, and even earlier
He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity
(3:45) Behold! The angels said: 'O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: His name will
be Christ Jesus (386), the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the hereafter and of (the company of)
those nearest to God' (387);
(3:46) 'He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity
righteous'.
(388)
and he shall be (of the company) of the

kings and priests were anointed to symbolize consecration to their office
(Note 386, verse 3:45 Ali commentary, page 134) 'Christ': Greek, Christos = anointed: kings and
priests were anointed [WITH OLIVE OIL] to symbolize consecration to their office. The Hebrew and Arabic
form is Masih.
(Note 387, verse 3:45 Ali commentary, page 134) 'Nearest to God': Muqarrabin. Compare Sura
56:11.
the Gospel of Luke (2:46) describes him as disputing with the doctors in the Temple at the
age of 12, and even earlier
(Note 388, verse 3:46 Ali commentary, page 135) The ministry of Jesus lasted only about three
years, from 30 to 33 years of his age, when in the eyes of his enemies he was crucified. But the
Gospel of Luke (2:46) describes him as disputing with the doctors in the Temple at the age of 12, and
even earlier, as a child, he was 'strong in spirit, filled with wisdom' (Luke 2:40). Some apocryphal
Gospels describe him as preaching from infancy.
365

Zakariya and the Temple
Quran, Sura Maryam (Mary), 19:1-7
Text: never am I unblest, O my Lord, in my prayer to Thee
Ali Commentary: Zakariya was a priest of the Most High God. His office was in the
Temple
'never am I unblest, O my Lord, in my prayer to Thee
(19:1) Kaf. Ha. Ya. Ain. Sad (2455),
(19:2) (This is) a recital (2456) of the Mercy of the Lord to His servant Zakariya.
(19:3) Behold! He cried to his Lord in secret (2457),
(19:4) Praying: 'O my Lord! Infirm indeed are my bones, and the hair of my head doth glisten with grey:
But never am I unblest, O my Lord, in my prayer (2458) to Thee!'
(19:5) 'Now I fear (what) my relatives (and colleagues) (will do) after me: But my wife is barren: So give
me an heir (2459) as from Thyself,
(19:6) (One that) will (truly) represent me, and represent
Lord! One with whom Thou art well-pleased!'
(4460)
the posterity of Jacob; and make him, O my
(19:7) (His prayer was answered): 'O Zakariya! We give thee good news of a son: His name shal l be
Yahya: On none by that name have We conferred distinction before' (2461).

(Note 2455, verse 19:1 Ali commentary, page 767) This is the only sura which begins with these
five Abbreviated Letters, K.H.Y.A.S. For Abbreviated Letters generally, see Appendix One, pages 118120.
As stated in my note 25, such Letters are Symbols, of which the true meaning is known to God alone.
We should not be dogmatic about any conjectures that we make. According to the interpretation of the
last letter Sad, suggested in note 989 to Sura 7:1, I should be disposed to accept sad with the
meaning of Qisas, i.e., stories of the Prophets. The main figures referred to here are: Zakariya, Yahya,
Maryam, Isa and Ibrahim: The others are mentioned but incidentally. The strong letter in Zakariya is K;
in IbraHim, H; in YahYa and perhaps MarYam, Y; and in Isa A (Ain). H also comes in Harun (Aaron),
and the Arabic Ya comes in all the names, including Isma'il and Idris.
366
I offer this suggestion with some diffidence. The suggestion of the Tafsir Kabir is that the letters stand
for attributes of God: K. for Kafi (the One sufficient in Himself): H. for Hadi (He who guides); Y. for Yad
(Hand as a symbol of Power or Authority. Compare Sura 48:10. 'The Hand of God is above their
hands'; A. for Alim (the All-Knowing); and S. for Sadiq (The True One).
(Note 2456, verse 19:2 Ali commentary, page 767) The Mercy of God to Zakariya was shown in
many ways: (1) In the acceptance of his prayer; (2) In bestowing a son like Yahya; and (3) In the love
between father and son, in addition to the work which Yahya did as God's Messenger for the world.
Compare Sura 3:38-41 and notes. There the public ministry was the point stressed; here the beautiful
relations between the son and the father.
(Note 2457, verse 19:3 Ali commentary, page 767) 'In secret': Because he feared that his own
family and relatives were going wrong (Sura 19:5), and he wanted to keep the lamp of God burning
bright. He could not very well mention the fear about his colleagues (who were his relations) in public.
Zakariya was a priest of the Most High God. His office was in the Temple, and his relatives
were his colleagues
(Note 2458, verse 19:4 Ali commentary, page 767) This preface shows the fervent faith of Zakariya.
Zakariya was a priest of the Most High God. His office was in the Temple, and his relatives were his
colleagues. But he found in them no true spirit of the service of God and man. He was filled with
anxiety as to who would uphold the godly ideas he had in mind, which were strange to his worldly
colleagues.
(Note 2459, verse 19:5 Ali commentary, page 768) His was not merely a vulgar desire for a son. If it
had been, he would have prayed much earlier in his life, when he was a young man. He was too full of
true piety to put merely selfish things into his prayers. But here was a public need, in the service of the
Lord. He was too old, but could he perhaps adopt a child who would be an heir, 'as from God' (see
note 380 to Sura 3:38).
he had character and virtue, as a man of God, and this he wanted to transmit to his heir as
his most precious possession. It was almost the most precious possession of the posterity of
Jacob
(Note 2460, verse 19:6 Ali commentary, page 768) It is true that an heir inherits property, but his
higher duty is to represent in everything the personality of him from whom he inherits. It is doubtful
whether Zakariya had any worldly property. But he had character and virtue, as a man of God, and
this he wanted to transmit to his heir as his most precious possession. It was almost the most precious
possession of the posterity of Jacob. The people around him had fallen away from God's Message.
Could his heir, like him, try and renew it?
367
(Note 2461, verse 19:7 Ali commentary, page 768) This was John the Baptist, the forerunner of
Jesus. In accordance with his father's prayer, he, and Jesus for whom he prepared the way, renewed
the Message of God, which had been corrupted and lost among the Israelites. The Arabic form Yahya
suggests 'Life'. The Hebrew form is Johanan, which means 'Jehovah has been gracious'. Compare
Hananan in verse 13 below. It does not mean that the name was given for the first time, for we read of
a Johanan the son of Careah in Two Kings 25:23, an otherwise obscure man. It means that God had,
for the first time, called one of His elect by that name.
368
3.5.12 The Tabernacle and the First and Second Temples of Jerusalem
of the Children of Israel
Qur'an, Sura Tur (The Mount), 52:1-10
Text: By the much-frequented Fane
Ali Commentary: It would then include the Tabernacle of the Israelites in the
Wilderness, the Temple of Solomon, the Temple in which Jesus worshipped
By the much-frequented Fane
(52:1) By the Mount (of Revelation);
(52:2) By a Decree Inscribed
(52:3) In a Scroll unfolded;
(52:4) By the much-frequented Fane (5039);
(52:5) By the Canopy Raised High;
(52:6) And by the Ocean filled with Swell;
(52:7) Verily, the Doom of thy Lord will indeed come to pass;
(52:8) There is none can avert it;
(52:9) On the Day when the firmament will be in dreadful commotion.
(52:10) And the mountains will fly hither and thither.

'The much-frequented Fane' or (House)may be taken generally to mean any Temple or
House of Worship dedicated to the true God. It would then include the Tabernacle of the
Israelites in the wilderness, the Temple of Solomon, the Temple in which Jesus worshipped
(Note 5039, verse 52:4 Ali commentary, page 1432) See the last two notes. (3) 'The muchfrequented Fane' or (House) is usually understood to mean the Ka'ba, but in view of the parallelism
noted in the last note it may be taken generally to mean any Temple or House of Worship dedicated to
the true God. It would then include the Tabernacle of the Israelites in the wilderness, the Temple of
Solomon [FIRST ISRAELITE TEMPLE OF JEURSALEM], the Temple in which Jesus worshipped [SECOND ISRAELITE
TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM] and the Ka'ba which the holy Prophet purified and re-dedicated to true worship.
These would be only illustrations. Other concrete places of worship would be included, and in a more
abstract meaning the heart of man, which craves with burning desire to find and worship God. The
369
Fane is 'much-frequented' as there is a universal desire in the heart of man to worship God and his
sacred Temples draw large crowds of devotees.
370
3.5.13 The First, Second and Third Temples of Jerusalem of the

Children of Israel
Qur'an, Sura al-Isra (The Night Journey) - Bani Isra'il (Children of Israel),
17:1-8
Ali Commentary: Introduction to Sura 17
the Holy Prophetwas transported from the Sacred Mosque (of Mecca) to the
Farthest Mosque (of Jerusalem) in a night and shown some of the Signs of God
The holy Prophet was first transported to the seat of the earlier revelations in
Jerusalem
the Holy Prophetwas transported from the Sacred Mosque (of Mecca) to the Farthest
Mosque (of Jerusalem) in a night and shown some of the Signs of God. The majority of
Commentators take this Night Journey literally.The holy Prophet was first transported to the
seat of the earlier revelations in Jerusalem
(Introduction to Sura 17 Ali commentary, page 691) Let us now consider Sura 17 by itself. It opens
with the mystic Vision of the Ascension of the Holy Prophet: He was transported from the Sacred
Mosque (of Mecca) to the Farthest Mosque (of Jerusalem) in a night and shown some of the Signs of
God. The majority of Commentators take this Night Journey literally, but allow that there were other
occasions on which a spiritual Journey or Vision occurred. Even on the supposition of a miraculous
bodily Journey, it is conceded that the body was almost transformed into a spiritual fineness. The
Hadith literature gives details of this Journey and its study helps to elucidate its mystic meaning. The
holy Prophet was first transported to the seat of the earlier revelations in Jerusalem, and then taken
through the seven heavens, even to the Sublime Throne, and initiated into the spiritual mysteries of
the human soul struggling in Space and Time. The Spaniard Miguel Asin, Arabic Professor in the
University of Madrid, has shown that this Mi'raj literature had a great influence on the Mediaeval
literature of Europe, and especially on the great Italian poem, the Divine Comedy (or Drama) of Dante,
which towers like a landmark in mediaeval European literature.
The reference to this great mystic story of the Mi'raj is a fitting prelude to the journey of the human
soul in its spiritual growth in life. The first steps in such growth must be through moral conduct the
reciprocal rights of parents and children, kindness to our fellow men, courage and firmness in the hour
of danger, a sense of personal responsibility, and a sense of God's Presence through prayer and
praise.
371
The Mi'raj is usually dated to the twenty seventh night of the month of Rajab (though other dates, e.g.,
the seventeenth of Rabi 1, are also given) in the year before the Hijra. This fixes the date of the
opening verse of the Sura, though portions of the Sura may have been a little earlier.
372

Children of Israel
First Temple of Jerusalem
17:1-8
Verses 17:1-3
Text: the Farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless
Ali Commentary: 'The Farthest Mosque' must refer to the site of the Temple of
Solomon in Jerusalem on the hill of Moriah, at or near which stands the Dome of
the Rock, called also the Mosque of Hadhrat 'Umar
The chief dates in connection with the Temple are: It was finished by Solomon
about B.C. 1004; destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar about 586
B.C.; rebuilt under Ezra and Nehemiah about 515 B.C.; turned into a heathen idoltemple by one of Alexander's successors, Antiochus Epiphanes, 167 B.C.; restored
by Herod, B.C. 17 to A.D. 29; and completely razed to the ground by the Emperor
Titus in A.D. 70
Glory to (God) who did take His Servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the
Farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did Bless
(17:1) Glory to (God) who did take His Servant [MUHAMMAD] for a Journey by night (2166) from the Sacred
Mosque [OF MECCA] (2167) to the Farthest Mosque ['SITE OF THE TEMPLE of Solomon IN JERUSALEM'] (2168), whose
precincts [TEMPLE MOUNT IN JERUSALEM] We did Bless in order that We [GOD] might show him some of Our
Signs; for He is the One Who heareth and seeth (all things) (2169).
(17:2) We gave Moses the Book [TORAH] (2170) and made it a Guide to the Children of Israel, (commanding):
'Take not other than Me (2171) as Disposer of (your) affairs'.
(17:3) O ye [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] that are sprung from those [SHEM
Ark) with Noah (2172)! Verily he [NOAH] was a devotee most grateful.
AND HIS WIFE]
whom We carried (in the

(Note 2166, verse 17:1 Ali commentary, page 693) This reference is to the Miraj for which see the
Introduction to this Sura.
373
(Note 2167, verse 17:1 Ali commentary, page 693) Masjid is a place of prayer: Here it refers to the
Ka'ba at Makkah. It had not yet been cleared of its idols and rededicated exclusively to the One True
God. It was symbolical of the new Message which was being given to mankind.
'The Farthest Mosque' must refer to the site of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem on the
hill of Moriah, at or near which stands the Dome of the Rock, called also the Mosque of
Hadhrat 'Umar
(Note 2168, verse 17:1 Ali commentary, page 693) 'The Farthest Mosque' must refer to the site of
the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem on the hill of Moriah, at or near which stands the Dome of the
Rock, called also the Mosque of Hadhrat 'Umar . This and the Mosque known as the Farthest Mosque
(Masjid-ul-Aksa) were completed by the Amir 'Abd-ul-Malik in A.H. 68.
'Farthest', because it was the place of worship farthest west which was known to the Arabs in the time
of the holy Prophet: It was a sacred place to both Jews and Christians, but the Christians then had the
upper hand as it was included in the Byzantine (Roman) Empire, which maintained a Patriarch at
Jerusalem.
The chief dates in connection with the Temple are: It was finished by Solomon about B.C.
1004; destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar about 586 B.C.; rebuilt under
Ezra and Nehemiah about 515 B.C.; turned into a heathen idol-temple by one of Alexander's
successors, Antiochus Epiphanes, 167 B.C.; restored by Herod, B.C. 17 to A.D. 29; and
completely razed to the ground by the Emperor Titus in A.D. 70
(Note 2168, verse 17:1 Ali commentary, page 693 continued) The chief dates in connection with the
Temple are: It was finished by Solomon about B.C. 1004; destroyed by the Babylonians under
Nebuchadnezzar about 586 B.C.; rebuilt under Ezra and Nehemiah about 515 B.C.; turned into a
heathen idol-temple by one of Alexander's successors, Antiochus Epiphanes, 167 B.C.; restored by
Herod, B.C. 17 to A.D. 29; and completely razed to the ground by the Emperor Titus in A.D. 70. These
up and downs are among the greater Signs in religious history.
(Note 2169, verse 17:1 Ali commentary, page 693) God's knowledge comprehends all things,
without any curtain of time or any separation of Space. He can therefore see and hear all things, and
the Mi'raj was a reflection of this knowledge without Time or Space.
In this and the subsequent verses, the reference to God is generally in the first person and plural. But
in the first and the last clause of this verse, it is in the third personal singular: 'Glory to God, Who did
take His Servant'; 'He is the One'. In each of these two instances, the clause expresses the point of
view of God's creatures, who glorify Him, and whose hearing and seeing are ordinarily so limited that
they can do nothing but glorify Him when one of His creatures is raised up to hear and see the Signs.
It is they who glorify Him.
374
'The Book': The revelation that was given to Moses

(Note 2170, verse 17:2 Ali commentary, page 693) 'The Book': The revelation that was given to
Moses [TORAH]. It was there clearly laid down that those who followed Moses must consider God as allin-all. 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me; thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them: For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God'
(Exodus 20:3-5). These are the words of the English Bible. As a matter of fact, the spirit of the Mosaic
teaching went further. It referred all things to the providence of God: God is the Disposer of all affairs,
and we are to look to none but Him. This is Islam [SUBMISSION TO GOD], and the MI'RAJ showed that it was
the teaching of God from the most ancient times, and yet it was violated by the very people [CHILDREN
OF ISRAEL] who claimed to be its custodians.
(Note 2171, verse 17:2 Ali commentary, page 694) Note the transition from 'We' in the first clause to
'Me' in the second clause. The first clause refers to the majesty of God as the Heavenly King; the
second clause refers to His personal interest in all our affairs.
After the Deluge of the time of Noah the only descendants of Noah were those who were
saved in the Ark with him. They had special reason to celebrate the praises of God. But they
relapsed into idolatry, sin, and abominations
(Note 2172, verse 17:3 Ali commentary, page 694) After the Deluge of the time of Noah the only
descendants of Noah were those who were saved in the Ark with him. They had special reason to
celebrate the praises of God. But they relapsed into idolatry, sin, and abominations. They are
reminded of the true and sincere devotion of Noah himself, as contrasted with the unworthiness of
Noah's descendants, especially the Children of Israel.
375

Children of Israel
Second Temple of Jerusalem
17:1-8
Verses 17:4-7
Text: Then did We grant you the Return against them
Ali Commentary: The return of the Jews from the Captivity was about 520 B.C.
They started life afresh. They rebuilt their Temple. They carried out various
reforms and built up a new Judaism in connection with EzraFor a time they
prospered
We gave (clear) warning to the Children of Israel in the Book, that twice they would do mischief
on the earth (and twice would they be punished)
(17:4) And We [GOD] gave (clear) warning to the Children of Israel (2173) in the Book [TORAH], that twice (2174)
they would do mischief on the earth and be elated with mighty arrogance (and twice would they be punished)
[BY DESTRUCTION OF THE FIRST AND SECOND ISRAELITE TEMPLES OF JERUSALEM and exile from the Land of Israel]!
When the first of the warnings came to pass, We sent against you Our servants given to terrible
warfareit was a warning completely fulfilled
(17:5) When the first of the warnings [DESTRUCTION OF THE FIRST ISRAELITE TEMPLE of Jerusalem] came to pass,
We [GOD] sent against you [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] Our servants [NEBUCHADNEZZAR AND THE BABYLONIANS] given to
terrible warfare (2175): They entered the very inmost parts of your homes; and it was a warning completely
fulfilled.
Then did We grant you the Return as against them

(17:6) Then did We [GOD] grant you [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] the Return [TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL and rebuilding of
the Second Temple OF JERUSALEM UNDER THE PERSIANS] as against them [BABYLONIANS] (2176). We gave you
[CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] increase in resources and sons, and made you the more numerous in man-Power.
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when the second of the warnings came to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to disfigure your
faces, and to enter your Temple as they had entered it before, and to visit with destruction all that
fell into their power
(17:7) If ye [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] did well, ye did well for yourself; if ye did evil, (ye did it) against yourselves
(2177)
. So when the second of the warnings [DESTRUCTION OF THE SECOND TEMPLE Of Jerusalem] came to pass, (We
permitted your enemies) [TITUS AND THE ROMANS] to disfigure your faces (2178), and to enter your Temple [SECOND
TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM] (2179) as they [NEBUCHADNEZZAR AND THE BABYLONIANS] had entered it [FIRST TEMPLE OF
JERUSALEM] before, and to visit with destruction all that fell into their [TITUS AND THE ROMANS'] power (2180).

'The Book' is the revelation given to the Children of Israel
(Note 2173, verse 17:4 Ali commentary, page 694) 'The Book' is the revelation given to the Children
of Israel [TORAH]. Here it seems to refer to the burning words of Prophets like Isaiah. For example, see
Isaiah, chapter 24, or Isaiah 5:20-30, or Isaiah 3:16-26.
it may be that the two occasions refer to: (1) The destruction of the Temple by the
Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C., when the Jews were carried off into captivity; and
(2) The destruction of Jerusalem by Titus in A.D. 70, after which the Temple was never
rebuilt
(Note 2174, verse 17:4 Ali commentary, page 694) What are the two occasions referred to? It may
be that 'twice' is a figure of speech for 'more than once', 'often'. Or it may be that the two occasions
refer to: (1) The destruction of the [FIRST] Temple by the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C.,
when the Jews were carried off into captivity; and (2) The destruction of Jerusalem by Titus in A.D. 70,
after which the [SECOND] Temple was never rebuilt. See note 2168 above. On both occasions it was a
judgment of God for the sins of the Jews, their backslidings, and their arrogance.
Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonianswere servants of God in the sense that they were
instruments through which the wrath of God was poured out on the Jews, for they penetrated
through their lands, their Temple, and their homes, and carried away the Jews, men and
women, into captivity
(Note 2175, verse 17:5 Ali commentary, page 694) A good description of the warlike
Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonians. They were servants of God in the sense that they were
instruments through which the wrath of God was poured out on the Jews, for they penetrated through
their lands, their [FIRST] Temple, and their homes, and carried away the Jews, men and women, into
captivity. As regards 'the daughters of Zion' see the scathing condemnation in Isaiah 3:16-26.
377
The return of the Jews from the Captivity was about 520 B.C. They started life afresh. They
rebuilt their Temple. They carried out various reforms and built up a new Judaism in
connection with EzraFor a time they prospereddoom followed the complete and final
destruction of the Temple under Titus in 70 A.D.
(Note 2176, verse 17:6 Ali commentary, page 695) The return of the Jews from the Captivity was
about 520 B.C. They started life afresh. They rebuilt their [SECOND] Temple. They carried out various
reforms and built up a new Judaism in connection with Ezra. See appendix two following Sura Five.
For a time they prospered.
Meanwhile, their old oppressors the Babylonian had been absorbed by Persia. Subsequently, Persia
was absorbed in Alexander's Empire. The whole of western Asia was Hellenized, and the new school
of Jews was Hellenized also, and had a strong center in Alexandria.
But their footing in Palestine continued and under the Asmonean Dynasty (B.C. 167-63), they had a
national revival, and the names of the Maccabees are remembered as those of heroes.
Another dynasty, that of the Idumeans (B.C. 63 to B.C. 4) to which Herod belonged, also enjoyed
some semi-independent power. The scepter of Syria (including Palestine) passed to the Romans in
B.C. 65, and Jewish feudatory Kings held power under them.
But the Jews again showed a stiff-necked resistance to God's Messenger in the time of Jesus, and the
inevitable doom followed the complete and final destruction of the [SECOND] Temple under Titus in 70
A.D.
(Note 2177, verse 17:7 Ali commentary, page 695) This is a parenthetical sentence. If anyone
follows God's Law, the benefit goes to himself: He does not bestow a favour on anyone else. Similarly,
evil brings its own recompense on the doer of evil.
(Note 2178, verse 17:7 Ali commentary, page 695) The second doom [DESTRUCTION OF THE SECOND
TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM] was due to the rejection of the Message of Jesus. 'To disfigure your faces' means
to destroy any credit or power you may have got: The face shows the personality of the man.
Titus' destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 was complete. He was a son of the Roman
Emperor Vespasian, and at the date of the destruction of Jerusalem had the title of Caesar as
heir to the throne
(Note 2179, verse 17:7 Ali commentary, page 695) Titus' destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 was
complete. He was a son of the Roman Emperor Vespasian, and at the date of the destruction of
Jerusalem had the title of Caesar as heir to the throne. He ruled as Roman Emperor from 79-81 A.D..
378
The population of Jerusalem was then 200,000. According to the Latin historian Tacitus it
was as much as 600,000. There was a famine and there were massacres. There was much
fanaticism
(Note 2180, verse 17:7 Ali commentary, page 695) Merivale in his Romans Under the Empire gives
a graphic account of the siege and final destruction (ed. 1890, 7.221-255). The population of
Jerusalem was then 200,000. According to the Latin historian Tacitus it was as much as 600,000.
There was a famine and there were massacres. There was much fanaticism. The judgment of
Merivale is: 'They (the Jews) were judicially abandoned to their own passions and the punishment
which naturally awaited them'.
379

Children of Israel
Third and Final Temple of Jerusalem
17:1-8
Text (17:8): It may be that your Lord may (yet) show Mercy unto you
Ali Commentary (17:8): the Jews could still have obtained God's forgiveness
Thus Says the God of Israel

Isaiah 2:1-4
And it shall come to pass in the end of days, that the mountain of the Lord's
house shall be established as the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above
the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many peoples shall go and say:
'Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of
Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths'. For out of
Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem
The Qur'an Says:
your Lord may (yet) show Mercy unto you
(Qur'an, verse 17:8) It may be that your [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL's] Lord [GOD] may (yet) show Mercy (2181) unto
you; but if ye [CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] revert (to your sins), We [GOD] shall revert (to Our punishments): And We
have made Hell a prison for those who reject (all Faith) (2182).

the Jews could still have obtained God's forgiveness
(Note 2181, Qur'an verse 17:8 Ali commentary, page 695) Now we come to the time of our holy
Prophet. In spite of all the past, the Jews could still have obtained God's forgiveness if they had not
obstinately rejected the greatest of the Prophets also. If they were to continue their sins, God's
punishment would also continue to visit them.
380
the allegorical reference to Jewish history, when brought into relation with the mystic
meaning of Mi'raj, refers to the constant struggle of the individual soul against evil. It has its
setbacks and its punishments. But if it is true to itself and is true to the Faith in God, God will
give it strength and make it successful in its fight against evil
(Note 2182, Qur'an verse 17:8 Ali commentary, page 696) There is such a thing as disgrace in this
life, but the final disgrace is in the Hereafter, and that will be irretrievable. Notice that the allegorical
reference to Jewish history, when brought into relation with the mystic meaning of Mi'raj, refers to the
constant struggle of the individual soul against evil. It has its setbacks and its punishments. But if it is
true to itself and is true to the Faith in God, God will give it strength and make it successful in its fight
against evil. For God's Mercy is unbounded and comes to suffering humanity again and again.
Thus Says the God of Israel:

Isaiah 2:1-4
And it shall come to pass in the end of days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be
established as the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall
flow unto it. And many peoples shall go and say: 'Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of
the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in
His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem
(2:1) The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
(2:2) And it shall come to pass in the end of days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established
as the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
(2:3) And many peoples shall go and say: 'Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the
house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths'. For out of Zion
shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
(2:4) And He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their
swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
Isaiah 2:1-4
381
Haggai 2:1-9
For thus saith the Lord of hosts: Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and
the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the choicest things of all
nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. Mine is the silver,
and Mine the gold, saith the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than
that of the former, saith the Lord of hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of
hosts
(2:1) In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai
the prophet, saying:
(2:2) 'Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of
Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying:
(2:3) Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? and how do ye see it now? is not such a
one as nothing in your eyes?
(2:4) Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high
priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work; for I am with you, saith the Lord of
hosts.
(2:5) The word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt have I established, and My spirit
abideth among you; fear ye not.
(2:6) For thus saith the Lord of hosts: Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the
earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
(2:7) and I will shake all nations, and the choicest things of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house
with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.
(2:8) Mine is the silver, and Mine the gold, saith the Lord of hosts.
(2:9) The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former, saith the Lord of hosts; and in
this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts'.
Haggai 2:1-9
382
Ezekiel 37:1-28
I will make a covenant of peace with them it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I
will establish them, and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in the midst of them for ever.
My dwelling-place also shall be over them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
And the nations shall know that I am the Lord that sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary shall be in
the midst of them for ever
Ezekiel in the Qur'an
And (remember) Zul-kiflAnd commemorate Zul-Kifl
(Qur'an, 21:85) And (remember) Isma'il, Idris, and Zul-kifl [EZEKIEL]
patience.
(2743)
, all (Men) of constancy and
(Qur'an, 21:86) We [GOD] admitted them [ISMA'IL, IDRIS AND ZUL-KIFL (EZEKIEL)] to Our Mercy: For they were
of the righteous ones.
(Qur'an, 38:48) And commemorate Isma'il, Elisha, and Zul-Kifl: Each of them was of the company of the
Good.

If we accept 'Zul-kifl' to be not an epithet, but an Arabicized form of 'Ezekiel', it fits the
context. Ezekiel was a prophet in Israel, who was carried away to Babylon by
Nebuchadnezzar after his second attack on Jerusalem (about B.C. 599). His Book is included
in the English Bible (Old Testament). He was chained and bound, and put into prison, and for
a time he was dumb (Ezekiel 3:25-26). He bore all with patience and constancy, and
continued to reprove boldly the evils in Israel
(Note 2743, Qur'an verse 21:85 Ali commentary, page 841) Zuk-kifl would literally mean 'possessor
of, or giving, a double requital or portion'; or else, 'one who used a cloak of double thickness', that
being one of the meanings of kifl. The Commentators differ in opinion as to who is meant, why the title
is applied to him, and the point of his being grouped with Isma'il and Idris for constancy and patience. I
think the best suggestion is that afforded by Karesten Niebuhr in his Reisebeschreibung nach Arabian,
Copenhagen, 1778, 2.264-266, as quoted in the Encyclopaedia of Islam under 'Dhul-Kifl'. He visited
Meshad 'Ali in Iraq, and also the little town called Kefil, midway between Najaf and Hilla (Babylon).
Kefil, he says, is the Arabic form of Ezekiel. The shrine of Ezekiel was there, and the Jews came to it
on pilgrimage.
If we accept 'Zul-kifl' to be not an epithet, but an Arabicized form of 'Ezekiel', it fits the context. Ezekiel
was a prophet in Israel, who was carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar after his
[NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S] second attack on Jerusalem (about B.C. 599). His [EZEKIEL'S] Book is included in the
English Bible (Old Testament) [TANACH]. He was chained and bound, and put into prison, and for a time
he was dumb (Ezekiel 3:25-26). He bore all with patience and constancy, and continued to reprove
383
boldly the evils in Israel. In a burning passage he denounces false leaders in words which are
eternally true: 'Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds
feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: But ye feed
not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick,
neither have ye bound up that which was brokenetc.' (Ezekiel 34:2-4).
Zul-kifl is again mentioned in Sura 38:48, along with Isma'il and Elisha.
the Lord carried me out in a spirit, and set me down in the midst of the valley, and it was full of
bones
(Ezekiel, 37:1) The hand of the Lord was upon me, and the Lord carried me out in a spirit, and set me down
in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones;
(Ezekiel, 37:2) And He caused me to pass by them round about, and, behold, there were very many in the
open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
(Ezekiel, 37:3) And He said unto me: 'Son of man, can these bones live?' And I answered: 'O Lord God,
Thou knowest'.
(Ezekiel, 37:4) Then He said unto me: 'Prophesy over these bones, and say unto them: O ye dry bones, hear
the word of the Lord':
(Ezekiel, 37:5) 'Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and
ye shall live'.
(Ezekiel, 37:6) 'And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin,
and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord'.
I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a
commotion, and the bones came together, bone to its bone
(Ezekiel, 37:7) So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a
commotion, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
(Ezekiel, 37:8) And I beheld, and, lo, there were sinews upon them, and flesh came up, and skin covered
them above; but there was no breath in them.
(Ezekiel, 37:9) Then said He unto me: 'Prophesy unto the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the
breath: Thus saith the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that
they may live'.
the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great
host
(Ezekiel, 37:10) So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and
stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great host.
384
Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say: Our bones are dried
up, and our hope is lost
(Ezekiel, 37:11) Then He said unto me: 'Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they
say: Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off'.
I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people; and I will
bring you into the land of Israel
(Ezekiel, 37:12) 'Therefore, prophesy, and say unto them: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will open
your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people; and I will bring you into the land of
Israel'.
ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, and caused you to come up
our of your graves
(Ezekiel, 37:13) 'And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, and caused you to
come up out of your graves, O My people'.
ye shall live, and I will place you in your own land; and ye shall know that I the Lord have
spoken, and performed it
(Ezekiel, 37:14) 'And I will put My spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I will place you in your own land;
and ye shall know that I the Lord have spoken, and performed it, saith the Lord'.
(Ezekiel, 37:15) And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying:
(Ezekiel, 37:16) 'And thou, son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it: For Judah, and for the
children of Israel his companions; then take another stick, and write upon it: For Joseph, the stick of
Ephraim, and of all the house of Israel his companions';
(Ezekiel, 37:17) 'And join them for thee one to another into one stick, that they may become one in thy
hand'.
(Ezekiel, 37:18) 'And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying: Wilt thou not tell us
what thou meanest by these?'
I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his
companions; and I will put them unto him together with the stick of Judah, and make them one
stick
(Ezekiel, 37:19) 'Say unto them: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in
the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions; and I will put them unto him together with the
stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in My hand'.
(Ezekiel, 37:20) 'And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thy hand before their eyes.
385
I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, whither they are gone, and will gather
them on every side, and bring them into their own land
(Ezekiel, 37:21) 'And say unto them: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from
among the nations, whither they are gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own
land';
I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be
king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations
(Ezekiel, 37:22) 'And I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel, and one king
shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two
kingdoms any more at all';
(Ezekiel, 37:23) 'Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable
things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling-places, wherein they
have sinned, and will cleanse them; so shall they be My people, and I will be their God'.
My servant David shall be king over them, and they all shall have one shepherd
(Ezekiel, 37:24) 'And My servant David shall be king over them, and they all shall have one shepherd; they
shall also walk in Mine ordinances, and observe My statutes, and do them'.
they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob My servantand David My servant
shall be their prince for ever
(Ezekiel, 37:25) 'And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob My servant, wherein your
fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children's children, for ever;
and David My servant shall be their prince for ever'.
I will make a covenant of peace with them it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I
will establish them, and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in the midst of them for ever
(Ezekiel, 37:26) 'Moreover, I will make a covenant of peace with them it shall be an everlasting covenant
with them; and I will establish them, and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in the midst of them for
ever'.
My dwelling-place also shall be over them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people
(Ezekiel, 37:27) 'My dwelling-place also shall be over them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My
people'.
the nations shall know that I am the Lord that sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary shall be in the
midst of them for ever
(Ezekiel, 37:28) 'And the nations shall know that I am the Lord that sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary
shall be in the midst of them for ever'.
386
Section Four
Central Asia
387
Introduction to Section Four

Many people do not realize that while most Arabs are Muslims, most Muslims are not Arabs.
The world's most populous Muslim nation is Indonesia in southeast Asia. The former president of
Indonesia, Abdurrahman Wahid, also one of that country's most revered Islamic scholars, who died on
December 30, 2009, openly called on the Muslim world to establish diplomatic relations with Israel.
The ethnic Turkish, Sunni Muslim majority nations of Turkey, the Caucasus and Central Asia have
favorable attitudes towards Jews and Israel, and established diplomatic relations with Israel. There are
daily flights between Tel Aviv and Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, the largest of these Central Asian
nations.
In this section of Cracking the Qur'an Code we learn more about our ethnic Turkic friends and allies to
the north and northwest of Israel.
Jerusalem, Israel
March 16, 2010 C.E.
388
Section Four
Chapter One
From the Bosporus to the Borders of China: One Hundred and
Twenty Eight Million, Six Hundred and Seventy Thousand
Friends
The Pro-Jewish, Pro-Israel, Ethnic Turkic, Sunni Muslim Majority
Nations of the Middle East: Turkey; the Caucasus: Azerbaijan; Central
Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Lowell Gallin
Originally distributed through the Root and Branch Association Information Services on July 3, 2001
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Contents
4.1.1. Introduction to From the Bosporus to the Borders of China.
4.1.2 Statistics: Israel's Friends in the Middle East, Caucasus and Central Asia.
4.1.3 Uzbekistan: The Silk Rout to Investment, Dr. Mikhail Shterenshis, Link, November-December,
1998.
4.1.4 Uzbek President Islam Karimov delivers Address at the Opening of the Islamic University of
Tashkent, September 3, 1999.
4.1.5 Uzbek Ambassador to Israel Rustam Issaev delivers Greetings to the Second Root and Branch
Association Jerusalem Conference on the Noahide Covenant and Laws, October 13, 1999.
4.1.6 Uzbek Ambassador to Israel Rustam Issaev meets with Root and Branch Delegation in Jerusalem,
October 18, 1999.
4.1.7 Tashkent Resolution Against Politico-Religious Terrorism and Extremism, November 5, 1999.
4.1.8 Bravo Uzbekistan! J.I.N.S.A. Report, Number 124, December 6, 1999.
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4.1.1. Introduction to From the Bosporus to the Borders of China

From The Sound of Music:
Baron von Trapp: Enchanting little ritual. Something you learned at the abbey?
Maria: Rheumatism.
Admirers of Sunni spiritual leader Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi and his Italian Muslim Assembly
(I.M.A.) regard them as an enchanting little group.
Opponents regard them as rheumatism.
How significant or marginal really are Sheikh Palazzi and the I.M.A.?
X, Israel Correspondent for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (and my fellow Foreign Press
Association member) and Y, English News Editor at Arutz ShevaIsraelNationalNews.com (Radio
Free Israel) both independently (great minds think alike) came up with the same comparison:
Sheikh Palazzi and the Italian Muslim Assembly are to Islam what Rabbi Hirsch and the Neturei Karta are
to Judaism: 'Enchanting little' groups, or 'rheumatism', depending on one's perspective.
This edition of our Islam-Israel Fellowship News Digest, entitled From the Bosporus to the Borders of
China, One Hundred and Twenty Eight Million, Six Hundred and Seventy Thousand Friends, is
dedicated to X and Y in answer to this question.
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4.1.2. Statistics
Israel's Friends in the Middle East, Caucasus and Central Asia
Middle East
Country:
Population:
Ethnic Groups:
Religions:
Turkey:
65,090,000
Turkic Majority
Sunni Muslim Majority
Turks 80%
Kurds 20%
Sunni Muslim 100%

Caucasus
Country:
Population:
Azerbaijan: 7,883,000
Ethnic Groups:
Religions:
Turkic Majority
Azure 90%
Dagestani 3%
Russian 3%
Armenian 2%
Sunni Muslim 93%
Central Asia
Country:
Population:
Kazakhstan: 16,835,000
Kyrgyzstan: 4,531,000
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Ethnic Groups:
Religions:
Turkic Majority
Kazakh 40%
Russian 38%
German 6%
Ukranian 5%
Sunni Muslim 47%

Russian Orthodox 44%
Turkic Majority
Kirghiz 52%
Russian 22%
Uzbek 13%

Sunni Muslim 75%
Russian Orthodox 20%
Tajikistan:
6,059,000
Turkmenistan:4,332,000
Uzbekistan: 23,940,000
Non-Turkic Majority Sunni Muslim Majority

Tajik 65%
Sunni Muslims 80%
Uzbek 25%
Shi'ite Muslims 5%
Russian 4%
Turkic Majority
Turkmen 77%
Uzbek 9%
Russian 7%
Kazakh 2%
Sunni Muslim 89%
Turkic Majority
Uzbek 80%
Russian 5%
Tajik 5%
Kazakh 3%
Sunni Muslim 88%

Eastern Orthodox 9%
Eastern Orthodox 9%
Total Population:
128,670,000 (one hundred and twenty eight million, six hundred and seventy thousand people)
Source:
World Facts and Maps, Rand McNally
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4.1.3. Uzbekistan: The Silk Route to Investment

Dr. Mikhail Shterenshis
Link Magzine
November-December, 1998
The search for independence from the U.S.S.R. began with the Baltic republics and extended to the
Soviet republics by the end of the 1980s. The breakup of the Soviet system plunged Uzbekistan into
economic and political chaos and forced it to struggle for financial opportunities.
The situation was not unlike that of the newborn State of Israel in 1948. The story is well known:
David Ben-Gurion and his staff searching for grants, loans, subsidies, pledges, donations and
investments to begin building the Israeli economy.
In Uzbekistan, however, another issue arose among the people. Independence was loudly proclaimed,
and the statues of Lenin were removed, but the mass of the people had been taken by surprise by the
rapid political change. Private business was thus somewhat slower in taking root.
With independence in Uzbekistan, numerous political movements arose. They differed about many
issues but agreed on one point: That Uzbekistan should develop its economy to the fullest extent
possible.
The leader of the people's Democratic Party, Islam Karimov, developed a concrete plan for the future
and began the task of saving the country from what could have been a disaster resulting from the alltoo-sudden onset of independence. For the newborn republic, this movement to democracy was a giant
step forward from 70 years of Soviet domination.
Karimov, who is 60 and was born in Samarkand, did not try to completely revamp the former socialist
system in a short time. He noted, in Uzbekistan on the Threshold of the 21st Century, published in
1997, that during the chaotic transition of some of the newly formed countries that emerged from the
Soviet Union, the government lost management and control over natural resources and raw materials.
As a result, he wrote, those resources began to be plundered, extracted predatorily, and exported at
depressed prices, and turned out to be the source of super profits for individual nouveau riche.
And after the strife that came with Uzbekistan's geography the country is located close to Tajikistan
and Afghanistan, both caught up in civil unrest the average Uzbek also wanted the country to distance
itself from things military. Keeping that in mind, Karimov has still developed good relations with and
has the full support of the Uzbek armed forces.
Before becoming president, Karimov, who holds a Ph.D. in economics, held the posts of finance minister and
deputy prime minister in Uzbekskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika (Uzbek Soviet Socialist
Republic). Analysts consider him both wise and tough, and he has foresight, all important qualities for a
statesman. But the task that lies before him is formidable, and he has few aides on whom he can rely. His recent
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visit to Moscow was a success. Uzbekistan agreed to sell cotton to Rus sia at attractive prices, and an aviation
plant in Tashkent will be a joint venture for the countries. Russia will in turn support Uzbekistan's
struggle against Islamic fundamentalism (Wahhabism).
Political System
Uzbekistan, a republic, proclaimed its independence on August 31, 1991, and adopted a constitution in
December 1992. The capital was established in Tashkent. The president is the head of state, the Oliy
Majlis is the national parliament, and the Supreme Court is the top judicial body. The country covers
nearly 450,000 square kilometers, and 40% of its 22.5 million people live in cities.
Several political parties compete for power, and the country maintains equal rights for men and
women. The country is an affiliate of organizations such as the United Nations, the International
Monetary Fund, the World Health Organization, the Asian Development Bank, and Interpol.
Jews in Uzbekistan
Jews began settling in Central Asia over 2,000 years ago, after the Persian Empire defeated Babylon.
The Uzbeks were one of the first nations that dared to advocate tolerance as a desirable and practical
effort of statecraft.
In his 1997 book, Karimov wrote that Uzbekistan is proud that in the historical memory of our people
and the state, there are no disgraceful pages of manifestation of anti-Semitism, racism, and other forms
of arrogant and disrespectful attitudes toward another nation, another people.
The last major wave of Jews into Uzbekistan came at the end of World War Two, when the country
absorbed over 150,000 European refugees. Beginning in 1988, over 200,000 Central Asian Jews, from
both Ashkenazi and Bukharan backgrounds, arrived in Israel.
These Jews have now established themselves in their new home, Israel, and have started taking
advantage of the unique opportunity to build business ties with their former country, Uzbekistan.
Israel-Uzbekistan Relationships
Israel was the third country to recognise the new state of Uzbekistan, following the U.S. and Turkey, in
1992. Israel saw great value in establishing diplomatic relations with a country that had a long Islamic
history. Uzbekistan, for its part, wanted to be recognised by as many countries as possible, and it
sought help from Israel as a conduit to the West.
Other practical necessities made these relations important as well. A continuous flow of Uzbek Jews to
Israel made the Israeli Embassy in Tashkent and the Uzbekistan consulate in Tel Aviv quite busy. (In
1997, the consulate was upgraded to an embassy). Israelis from all walks of life journalists,
specialists in Islamic art, photographers and tourists visited the new country. Slowly but steadily,
business relationships between the two countries grew.
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Current relations between the countries are warm. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
returning from a visit to China, made a short visit to Tashkent. Trade Minister Natan Sharansky also
visited, further securing the ties between the countries.
A case in point: Uzbekistan had a hand in assisting Israel's efforts to provide humanitarian aid to
Afghanistan. An Israeli aircraft carrying the aid and a small delegation was forced to land at Tashkent
airport because of bad weather. The delegation received a warm welcome, visas on the spot, hotel
accommodations, a meeting with a deputy foreign minister, and general Uzbek hospitality.
History and Tourism
The opportunities for the rise of tourism in this region are enormous, particularly in light of the fact that
historic sites in Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran have been off limits to western and Israeli tourists for many
years and may not become accessible to them for many more.
Only here, in Uzbekistan, can one trace the development of the empires of Genghis Khan, Timur
(Tamerlane) and Babur (Great Mogols). During the Soviet period, the historical research on Timur and
the Timurids was deliberately suppressed. Now one can study and learn that the life of this warrior and
statesman, once a master of all the Land from Damascus to the borders of China, is full of
contradictions. He is probably the most suitable figure for Uzbekistan to call the Father of the Nation.
One also can study Khan Uzbek, who accepted Islam for his Tribe, and Shah Babur, who conquered
half of India after starting from a small Uzbek town, Andijan. These impressive Uzbek Islamic stories
and monuments will be fascinating discussion and viewing for new travelers as well as those who have
completed the typical tours of the pyramids of Egypt, the Acropolis in Greece, the Eiffel Tower in
Paris, the Colosseum and Big Ben.
The first step toward regular tourism, by the way, was made by the Israeli company Caspi, which for
two years has sponsored a seven-night, eight-day tour to the old cities in Uzbekistan.
Religion and Culture
Sentiment for the good old days has a special meaning for modern Uzbeks. For them, this amounts to
maintaining their old pre-Soviet traditions.
For example, some Uzbeks turned to wearing Muslim clothes, including white shawls for girls but
without the old-fashioned veils. Architects began using vivid national motifs in new buildings,
borrowing heavily from 15th and 17th century style. Some older holidays such as Navruz and Ramadan
are celebrated anew.
Uzbeks are largely Sunni Muslim and as a group have no use for Muslim fundamentalism
(Wahhabism), prevalent (in a non-Wahhabi form) mainly among Shi'ites. Uzbeks tend to honor
traditional Islam in theory even as they do not adopt it in practice. They will say in good humor that it
is O.K. for people living in 1998 to think in terms of 998.
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Religion is welcome in the country nonetheless. Thousands of mosques and schools based on the
Qur'an, as well as some new synagogues and churches, have been erected. President Karimov was even
awarded the St. Vladimir Order of the Russian Orthodox Church. At the government level, however,
politicians do not allow religious considerations to interfere with policy.
Economy
During 70 years of Soviet winter, Uzbekistan's economy was not underdeveloped, it was misdeveloped.
A common belief was that growing cotton could provide prosperity to an entire republic. But cotton
and silk are small parts of Uzbekistan's resources, which include oil and natural gas, coal, gold, silver,
copper, lead, zinc, tungsten, and others. The country also has considerable hydroelectric and thermal
electric power potential. The country is the second-largest gold producer of the post U.S.S.R. countries,
after Russia, and it is a leading producer of natural gas in Central Asia. Uzbekistan Airways, equipped
with Boeing aircraft, is a point of pride for the country.
At the same time, agriculture, natural resources and even metals and aircraft cannot round out a state's
economy. President Karimov thus has proposed five fundamental principles for economic changes in
Uzbekistan:
The president determined to remove ideological considerations from both domestic and foreign
economic relations. Communism and socialism were once and finally removed from the economy.
He declared that the state would continue to undertake economic reforms.
The government declared that its constitution and laws covered everyone without discrimination. The
principle has its roots in the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution.
Karimov made clear that the government believed that market-oriented relations provide the best
opportunities for the people at large to improve their standard of living. Marketing, promotion, and
public relations are no longer innovations but rather firmly rooted business practices in Uzbekistan.
The president determined to institute reforms in a purposeful manner, step by step, to ensure that the
transition to a market economy would be smooth. No revolutions, no speculative ideas, no one-way
tickets to incorrect destinations. Reforms would be designed to benefit all citizens; the government
simply asked in return that citizens be patient.
Eyeing Investments
Uzbekistan is looking for foreign investment with fresh zest. The state law on foreign investments and
guarantees for foreign investors' activity, enacted on May 5, 1994, includes several common-sense
statements to ensure that foreign investments will not be nationalized or confiscated and that foreign
investors will have no trouble investing and then transferring profits out of the country.
A comprehensive document, entitled, Uzbekistan: Opportunities for Foreign Business, was prepared
by the Foreign Investment Agency of Uzbekistan. It enumerates hundreds of businesses that are ripe for
investment in all industries, including mining and resources, food processing, light industry,
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electronics, pharmaceuticals such as medical, cotton, vaccines, and orthopedic products agriculture,
construction, telecommunications, tourism, public health, and other areas.
Insurance is a critical question for any investor looking at any region. Uzbekistan has over 70 insurance
companies operating, including four companies with foreign capital. Foreign investors might well want
to contact Uzbekinvest National Insurance Co. The firm offers clients 100% insurance coverage for
political risk, 90% for commercial risk, and 95% coverage for combined risk. Its rates for coverage of
investments in Uzbekistan are reported to be favorable compared with internationally available
coverage.
Uzbekinvest proved reliable in insuring several major projects, such as the construction of the
Uzbekneftegaz oil refinery in Bukhara by a consortium including Marubeni and Technip; the upgrading
of the Kokdumalak oil and gas fields by a consortium including M.W. Kellog and Nissho Iwai; projects
in the tobacco industry such as UzBAT, an Uzbek-British joint venture; the development of shoe
manufacturing by UzSalaman, an Uzbek-German joint venture; and projects in tourism, such as the
Hotel Uzbekistan, an Uzbek-Malaysian joint venture. Uzbekinvest also has gone international,
establishing a London branch in cooperation with American International Group. The branch's $100
million of equity is held 80% by Uzbekinvest and 20% by AIG.
The Central Bank of Uzbekistan is the state bank for issues and reserves. The parliament approved the
central bank's charter, meaning that the bank is under the supervision of the legislature and is
independent of executive and other state authorities. The bank has focused on collaboration with
foreign credit organizations, trying to attract investment and credits to Uzbekistan. The central bank
functions as a liaison with international financial organizations, such as the International Monetary
Fund, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Asian Development Bank.
On the commercial banking level, two companies are important for foreign investments. Commercial
Uzpromstroybank is responsible for credits to and financing of capital investment in industry,
transportation, communication, construction and trade. The National Bank of Foreign Economic
Activity was created to speed cooperation with foreign business organizations and facilitate growth of
exports and receipt of foreign currency.
Opportunities
Make no mistake, Israeli companies are operating in Uzbekistan. Netafim became part of Uzbek
agriculture in 1992. Other companies with interests and partners here include Flex International,
Tambour and Caspi.
On the other hand, Israeli investors lag behind their colleagues from Turkey, the U.S., France, Russia,
South Korea and Japan. For example, the U.S.-Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce includes 30 U.S.
members, among them Boeing, Cargill, Caterpillar, Exxon, M.W. Kellogg, Newmont Mining and
Nukem.
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Over 100 U.S. companies are involved in joint ventures with Uzbek companies, according to the Uzbek
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The $200 million Zarafshan-Newmont joint venture in gold mining is one
of the largest Western investments to date in former Soviet states.
Other examples: One of Israel's top real estate developers, Africa-Israel Investments Ltd., led by Lev
Levaev, has found a hospitable business climate in Uzbekistan. The Haifa freight forwarder and cargo
company R.P.A. Port International Ltd. is using Tashkent International Airport for deliveries in central
Asia. It also formed R.P.A. Port Sanorama Tourism Services Ltd. to provide tours and tourism advisory
services in Uzbekistan.
M.A.D. Agricultural Products Development Corp., based in Kfar Monash, Israel, and headed by
President Avi Paiursky, began a turkey-breeding project in Uzbekistan six years ago. In the past four
years, production has quadrupled to 4,000 tons (live weight) of meat annually.
M.A.D. also recently signed a contract with Uzbtitseprom, the state production association, to supply
advanced technology for raising turkeys on six Uzbek farms. The farms will produce 12,000 tons of
meat annually. The contract was based on previous agreements to supply 4,000 tons of meat. The
Uzbeks wanted to expand and develop those agreements.
Agrichemicals producer Makhteshim-Agan, based in Omer, Israel, is another recent example. With
1997 worldwide sales of $740 million, the group develops, produces and markets chemicals to protect
crops insecticides, fungicides and herbicides as well as natural antioxidants and numerous industrial
chemicals.
The Makhteshim marketing project promotes development of Uzbekistan's cotton fields and silk worm
farms. The country also provides a huge market for crop-protection chemicals.
Israeli investors would do well to investigate similar stimulating business opportunities.
One major potential investment for them stands out. The huge Aral Sea has been drying up for the past
20 years. President Karimov wrote in his 1997 book that the ecological disaster originated by the
drying of the Aral Sea and subsequent desertification of the area is the pain of all the peoples living in
the Sea Basin. The Declaration of Central Asian States and International Organizations on Sustainable
Development of the Aral Sea Basin, announced September 20, 1995, did not lead to concrete steps to
solve the problem. It presents a major opportunity for Israeli investors, scientists and engineers.
Investors interested in tourism opportunities can contact Uzbektourism for potential partnerships.
(Foreign investors can, if they prefer, own 100% of a project rather than form a joint venture). Under
the auspices of the World Trade Organization, the country's Silk Road revival project aims to create a
regional tourism infrastructure. The main tourism prospects lie in hotel construction: The country wants
to see hotels built in Tashkent, Bukhara, and Samarkand, and it wants to refurbish the Hotel Uzbekistan
in Tashkent. Uzbekistan also wants to see campgrounds constructed, and it is planning a commercial
center in Tashkent.
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In mining, the company Kyzylkumredmet-Zoloto, or Kyzylkum Rare Metals-Gold, is seeking investors

to develop deposits of lithium, silver and other nonferrous and rare metals. The state enterprise
Almalyk G.M.K. needs capital to build a copper and molybdenum mill in the Tashkent region.
The Ugol enterprise needs to reequip and add 1.6 million tons of capacity to develop coal deposits.
Pisheprom seeks food and beverage investors. One project: Installation of beverage-production lines in
several cities. Uzplodovoshvinprom wants to build plants to produce seven million bottles of
champagne a year.
In chemicals, Uzhiprom Association needs capital to produce 70,000 tons of toluol, 30,000 tons of
celluslose, and 50,000 tons of hydrogen peroxide a year.
Trade Minister Natan Sharansky on Israel-Uzbekistan Business Relations
Question: The official Uzbek report dedicated to your visit to the republic on July 2, 1998, says that
there are numerous joint ventures with Israeli capital in Uzbekistan. Are they indeed numerous?
How strong is this Israeli capital?
Answer: In total there are 25 Israeli-Uzbekistan joint ventures in Uzbekistan now. Many of them hold
the leading positions in their businesses. Nearly all of these companies are oriented to long-term
relationships. Among the companies currently active in Uzbekistan, there are Tadiran, Netafim, E.C.I.,
and others. The main areas of cooperation are agricultural equipment, telecommunications, metallurgy,
medicine, and dairy (the Kibrai joint milk factory).
Question: Mutual profitable relationships is a cliche. In real life, who needs a partner more, Israel or
Uzbekistan?
Answer: Israel-Uzbekistan cooperation is beneficial for both sides indeed. Uzbekistan needs modern
technology to develop its huge potential. Our country can deliver such technology. In return, we get
access to a big market. At the same time, we create a basis of relations with the country that can be one
of the leaders of the Muslim world in the near future.
Question: Are there Uzbek businessmen or are the only businessmen in Uzbekistan the government
itself?
Answer: Uzbek privatization is in its early stages. Generally, the partners of our companies are
government enterprises. However, the number of private businessmen is gradually increasing.
Ruth Westheimer on Life in Uzbekistan
Question: Dr. Westheimer, you visited Uzbekistan last summer. What is your general opinion about the
country?
Answer: I was very impressed with the hospitality and friendliness everywhere in Tashkent and
Samarkand. I met only welcoming people. I was mostly interested in a process of transmission of
traditional values from grandparents to grandchildren. I was impressed with the weddings, the
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traditional bakery, the dam that I saw, as well as with the beauty of the countryside. An elder of some
village with World War Two medals on his jacket is unforgettable. You know, we came to Uzbekistan
at a very welcoming time of changing symbols, and I would like to thank Rustam Issaev, Ambassador
of Uzbekistan to Israel, for his assistance.
Question: Jews first settled in Uzbekistan 2,000 years ago. They also came to the country as refugees
during World War Two. During your trip to Samarkand, you visited a local synagogue. What are your
impressions about current Jewish life in Uzbekistan?
Answer: Uzbekistan was the first Muslim country I saw where Jews have no feeling of persecution.
The number of Jewish refugees from World War Two is really impressive. In Samarkand synagogue, I
had a strong feeling that local Jews can worship without fear. Uzbekistan is a country of religious
tolerance. Religious feelings there have no political overtones.
Question: The Oriental attitude toward women and toward family differs from the western one. What
can you say about women and family in Uzbekistan?
Answer: Basically, human nature is the same all over. In Uzbekistan I saw tremendous respect for
women. A family there is a real partnership, sometimes both in life and in labor. By the way, Uzbeks
have monogamous families despite the fact that the Qur'an permits men to have four wives. There are
many mixed marriages in Uzbekistan. It is possible because this Muslim country remains tolerant
toward other religions.
Recommended English-Language Reading on Uzbekistan and Central Asia:
Hafeez, Malik (editor). Central Asia: Its Strategic Importance and Future Prospects. New York: St.
Martin's Press, 1994.
Hunter, Shireen T. Central Asia Since Independence. Westport, London: Praeger, 1996.
Karimov, Islam. Uzbekistan on the Threshold of the 21st Century. Tashkent: 1997 (available in
English, Hebrew, Russian and Uzbek from the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Israel)
Olcott, Martha Brill. Central Asia's New States. Washington: U.S. Institute of Peace Press, 1996.
Thubron, Colin. The Lost Heart of Asia. New York: Harper Perennial, 1994.
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4.1.4. Uzbek President Islam Karimov delivers Address at the Opening

of the Islamic University of Tashkent
September 3, 1999
Dear Compatriots and Honoured Guests:
In the Name of God the Most Gracious and Merciful, good morning.
Today, we celebrate the opening of the Islamic University of Tashkent in the capital of our nation.
I believe that the establishment of the Islamic University of Tashkent is a great event, not only for our
nation, but for the entire world.
Letters of congratulations coming from our fellow citizens and friends abroad show that many share
this conviction.
One may ask, why have we chosen to establish an Islamic University in the heart of Central Asia?
Uzbekistan is implementing social, economic and political reforms that have dramatically changed the
material lives of our people. However, this is not enough. We must at the same time restore our
religious values and spiritual life by studying the glorious heritage of our great ancestors and applying
that heritage in our daily lives.
Though our people passed through hard times and endured severe sufferings, our faith and will power
were never bent nor broken.
By the grace of God, we never betrayed our conscience, convictions or religious faith during the dark
decades of Soviet occupation and oppression.
May God keep us strong so that we will always be true to our ideals.
Dear Friends, allow me to enumerate the objectives of the Islamic University of Tashkent:
To glorify God by participating in the development of Islamic theology, law and jurisprudence. We
reverently acknowledge Islam as the sacred divinely revealed religion of our ancestors and its centrality
in our lives today.
To educate our people by securing the spread of literacy in religious knowledge and culture among our
population. We know from experience the horrible tragedy that can befall a nation due to illiteracy,
ignorance and unbelief.
Today there are 1.5 billion Muslims in the world. We are proud of the historic contribution of Uzbek
scholars to the development of Islam.
It is our sacred duty to study the heritage of our ancestors, including such saints and great thinkers,
such as Bakhovuddin Naqshband, Hoja Akhmad, Imam al-Bukhari, Inland al Termizi, Yassavi and
Zamakshari.
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To convey the knowledge of this heritage to our people, especially to our young generation.
For example, the treatise Al Hidaya by our great ancestor Burkhoniddin Marghinoni is considered to be
a masterpiece of Muslim scholarship. The study of this one work alone and the analysis of its influence
on our life and the development of our national legislation will engage scholars for many years to
come.
To cultivate a new generation of scholars from among our young people who will graduate from this
university and follow in the footsteps of our sages, such as Bukhari, Naqshbandi, Termizi, Zamakhshari
and the other scholars mentioned above.
To cultivate the study of our religion from a broad and humane perspective, taking into account
developments in the natural sciences and world civilisation. We intend to make a noble contribution to
the development of morality and ethics, and to strengthen peace and stability in our land and the whole
world by inspiring feelings of mutual love and respect between peoples. We will cultivate a proper
understanding about the role of religion and state in our lives and apply it to our future development.
Dear Friends, May I express my gratitude to all those engaged in the construction and maintenance of
this university.
I wish great success to the faculty and staff members.
May God grant peace and stability to our land and well being to our nation.
May God help us achieve all our aims. May I congratulate our people and the international Muslim
community on the occasion of the opening of our new school.
Thank you for your attention.
Islam Karimov
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Source:
Embassy of Uzbekistan in Israel
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4.1.5. Uzbek Ambassador to Israel Rustam Issaev delivers Greetings

to the Second Root & Branch Association Jerusalem Conference on the
Noahide Covenant and Laws
October 13, 1999
3 Cheshvan, 5760 - October 13, 1999 03.07.1420
Lt. Colonel Martin Gallin, Esq.,
Rabbanit Pnina Peli,
Co-Chairpersons,
Board of Directors,
Root and Branch Association, Ltd.,
Jerusalem
Dear Colonel Gallin and Rabbanit Peli,
I would like to extend my personal greetings and best wishes to you, to the members of the Board of
Directors, International Council and Council of Consulting Rabbis and Torah Scholars of the Root and
Branch Association, and to all participants in the Second Jerusalem Conference on the Noahide
Covenant and Laws.
I would also like to extend to all of you greetings from my colleagues at the Embassy of the Republic
of Uzbekistan and from the people of Uzbekistan, whom I represent in the State of Israel.
We Uzbeks believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who is the God of Israel.
We Uzbeks believe that God revealed Himself to us through the Rasul (Prophet), our Prophet
Muhammad, and that God's teachings are recorded in our Holy Qur'an.
We Uzbeks believe that Muslims and Jews, together with representatives of the world's religions, must
strive to know God, to understand His universal moral laws, and to observe them.
Such interfaith and inter-ethnic cooperation produces precious fruits which benefit our respective
religious communities and humanity as a whole.
Uzbekistan, situated in the heart of Central Asia, has for centuries been a melting pot of many religions,
including Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and others. Mutual respect between
the adherents of different religions was the outcome of this situation.
Modern Uzbekistan today is a predominantly Muslim nation, with a population of 24 million people.
We are proud of our glorious ancestry, which we trace back to Tamerlane. Our ancient cities, including
Bukhara, Khiva, Samarkand and Tashkent, have entered the imagination of Mankind, conjuring up
visions of romance and mystery.
404
We Uzbeks respect the religions of all our citizens, including our most ancient and beloved Jewish
community, reputed to be over 2,500 years old!
During World War Two, the Uzbek people provided sanctuary for over 250,000 Jewish refugees
escaping the Nazi genocide in Europe.
Islam Karimov, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, has said, There has never been, and I believe
there never will be, antisemitism here in Uzbekistan.
President Karimov has stated that the model for our modern Uzbek Constitution, now that we are a free
people in a free land who have been liberated from the oppression of the Soviet Pharaohs, is the
Constitution of the God intoxicated, Bible-based, U.S. of America, may that great land be forever
blessed.
We wholeheartedly endorse the resolution of the U.S. Congress recognizing the Noahide Covenant and
Laws as the moral foundation of American and world civilisation.
On March 20, 1991, the U.S. Congress, both the House of Representatives and the Senate, passed
Public Law 102-14, a Joint Resolution, stating that these ethical values and principles have been the
bedrock of society since the dawn of civilisation, when they were known as the Seven Noahide Laws.
The Republic of Uzbekistan concurs with the sentiments expressed in the resolution of the U.S.
Congress cited above.
We Uzbeks rejoice that the Jewish People has returned to the Land of Israel after 2000 years of exile, in
fulfillment of both biblical and Qur'anic prophecies.
We Uzbeks have complete faith that the Children of Isaac and the Children of Ishmael will overcome
their differences and establish a covenant of true peace between themselves.
We endorse the good works of the Root and Branch Association's Islam-Israel Fellowship, which
encourages practical cooperation between Muslims and Jews in Israel, and between Israel and Muslim
nations, based upon an enlightened understanding of the teachings of our Prophet Muhammad as
expressed in our Holy Qur'an and hadith (oral traditions).
Allow me to express my complete conviction that the Second Jerusalem Conference on the Noahide
Covenant and Laws will make an important contribution to human moral knowledge and selfunderstanding.
I wish the Conference all success.
Salam (Shalom),
Rustam Issaev
Ambassador of Uzbekistan to the State of Israel
Source: Root and Branch Information Services
405
4.1.6. Uzbek Ambassador to Israel Rustam Issaev meets with Root

and Branch Association Delegation in Jerusalem
October 18, 1999
Participating in the meeting with Ambassador Issaev were Root and Branch Board Co-Chairwoman
Rabbanit Pnina Peli; Root and Branch Board Member Samson Krupnick; Root and Branch Jerusalem
Embassy Initiative International Director Mrs. Rebecca Weinberger; and Root and Branch President
Lowell Gallin.
Source:
Root and Branch Information Services
406
4.1.7. Tashkent Resolution Against Politico-Religious Terrorism and

Extremism
November 28, 1999
19 Kislev, 5760 - November 28, 1999 19.08.1420 A.H.
Dr. Asher Eder,
Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi,
Co-Chairmen,
Islam-Israel Fellowship,
Root and Branch Association, Ltd.
Jerusalem
Dear Dr. Eder and Sheikh Professor Palazzi:
We have the honour to forward to you the Tashkent Resolution against Politico-Religious Terrorism
and Extremism which was signed in Tashkent at the Inter-religious and Interfaith Political Forum of
the Dialogue on Religion and Democracy.
Salam (Shalom),
Rustam Issaev
Ambassador of Uzbekistan to the State of Israel
407
On the occasion of the Inter-religious and Interfaith Political Forum of the Dialogue on Religion and
Democracy, which took place from November 2-5, 1999, in Tashkent, the participants adopted the
following Resolution:
The countries of the world, with their different religious and cultural orientations, are moving closer to
each other. This requires constant dialogue on social, cultural and religious levels.
All Religions of the Book (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) regard universal human values such as
love, tolerance, kindness, fraternity and helpfulness as principles of their creed. They have always
aspired to bring and strengthen these commandments within the soul and conscience of each human
being.
Tolerance towards representatives of other religions, respect for human rights and the rights of
minorities must be the basis for peaceful coexistence between states as well as within every society.
Religion must never again be used for inspiring hatred and instigation for violence and nor as a means
for the pursuit of power.
All participants of the Forum stress adherence to the principles of tolerance and respect towards the
representatives of all religions and confessions, as well as towards those who are not members of
religious communities.
We, the participants of the Forum, stress unambiguously that politico-religious extremism has nothing
to do with true faith or with other value oriented convictions. We vigourously condemn politicoreligious extremism and terror. Violence must not be an instrument for the pursuit of political aims.
We hold the opinion that on the threshold of the Third Millennium a constant dialogue between
religions, religious communities and cultures will be of ever greater importance. It must be recognised
that the ongoing process of Globalization is having an impact on all aspects of the lives of men and
women, including the religious and intellectual spheres. This dialogue must be conducted in the spirit
of respect towards others and be based upon moral and ethical values.
Recognition of the universality of human rights which protects the integrity and dignity of every
individual as well as fostering the welfare of the people must be the obligation of every government. In
this context it is of no significance whether the individual comes to an understanding of the importance
of these moral and ethical values due to his belief in God or by his own erudition.
Prejudice is mainly ignorance. Therefore, there should be on all levels of society comprehensive
information concerning other religions, cultures and philosophies. In accordance with this conviction
we, the participants of this International Inter-religious and Political Forum of the Dialogue on
Religion and Democracy address to the United Nations an appeal to announce the year 2002 as the
Year of Inter-religious Solidarity against any form of International Terrorism and Extremism.
408
4.1.8. Bravo Uzbekistan!

December 6, 1999
J.I.N.S.A. Report
Number 124
December 6, 1999
149-3-2; 139-1-3; 92-2-53; 108-3-48; 107-3-47; and 151-3-2
What are they?
Well, they might be terrific college football coaching records. They might be good lottery picks. They
might be bank vault combinations. But they aren't.
They actually represent a day's work for the United Nations General Assembly, mucking around in the
Middle East an area in which mischievous and irrelevant are the nicest adjectives one can
ascribe.
On December 1, the United Nations General Assembly passed six non-binding resolutions, the most
interesting element of which is the voting pattern of some of America's friends:
On a Peaceful settlement involving land for Peace:
For:
Against:
Abstained:
149
3
2
(Israel, Marshall Islands, U.S.)

(Micronesia, Uzbekistan)
On the illegality of Israel's position in Jerusalem:
For:
Against:
Abstained:
139
1
3
(Israel)
(Swaziland, U.S., Uzbekistan)
On the illegality of Israeli civilian law applied to the Golan Heights in 1981:
For:
Against:
Abstained:
92
2
53*
(Israel, U.S.)
(includes Uzbekistan)
On the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people:

For:
Against:
Abstained:
108
3
48*

409
On continuing the work of the United Nations Secretariat's Palestinian Rights Division:
For:
Against:
Abstained:
107
3
48*

On the United Nations Department of Public Information's Special Project on Palestine:

For:
Against:
Abstained:
151
3
2

(Micronesia, Uzbekistan)
* The large number of abstentions is due to a unified European Union position calling the United
Nations General Assembly approach outdated. A number of non-European Union countries followed
its lead.
Bravo Uzbekistan!
Since every country seems willing to judge Israel, it surely wasn't easy to announce an abstention. Over
20 countries were absent rather than record any position. And some voted against Israel less out of ill
will than thinking that non-binding resolutions do not matter.
Where your friends stand always matters.
J.I.N.S.A. visited Uzbekistan last month precisely because we understood that the Uzbek government
was determined to pursue a pro-American and pro-Israel foreign policy. And so they are. The
Administration and Congress should respond accordingly.
Source:
J.I.N.S.A. (Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs) jinsa.org
410
Section Four
Chapter Two
From the Bosporus to the Borders of China: 128 Million
Muslim Friends
Time for a Turkic-Israel Federation
Originally distributed through the Root and Branch Information Services
on Friday, May 10, 2002
Israel should establish a Turkic-Israel Federation with the pro-Jewish, pro-Israel, pro-American ethnic
Turkic, Sunni Muslim majority nations of the Middle East, Caucasus and Central Asia.
These nations, noble descendents in part of Genghis Khan, Timur (Tamerlane) and Babur, number 128
million souls and include: Turkey (Middle East); Azerbaijan and the Russian republics of Chechnya
and Dagestan (Caucasus); Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (Central
Asia).
After the fall of Ronald Reagan's Evil Empire in 1991 Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is
there anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah, 32:27) the newly freed former Soviet Muslim republics
of the Caucasus and Central Asia established diplomatic relations with Israel.
And many nations shall go and say: 'Come you, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of
the God of Jacob.
Isaiah 2:3
State Visits to Israel

Presidents of three stans: Nursultan Nazarbayev (Kazakhstan), Askar Akayev (Kyrgyzstan) and
Islam Karimov (Uzbekistan) made state visits to Israel and went up to Jerusalem (none danced a See
you in Tel Aviv Debka).
Uzbek Ambassador Issaev
His Excellency, Rustam Issaev, former Uzbek Ambassador to Israel, said, We Uzbeks rejoice that the
Jewish People has returned to the Land of Israel after 2000 years of exile, in fulfillment of both biblical
and Qur'anic prophecies.
411
Kazakh Ambassador Aitimova

Her Excellency, Byrganym Aitimova, outgoing Kazakh Ambassador to Israel, serves as Dean of
Israel's Diplomatic Corps.
Chechyn Deputy Prime Minister Noukhaev
Khoj-Ahmed Noukhaev, former Deputy Prime Minister of Chechnya, said, My sympathies are with
the small Jewish nation.
Turkmen President Niyazov
Saparmurat Niyazov, President of Turkmenistan and self-styled Turkmenbashi (Turkmen Tribal
Chieftain), declared he is a descendent of Noah (Genesis 10).
Turkish Sheikh Selim
Sheikh Mehmet Selim of Istanbul, Turkey (Turkey and Israel have a defense pact), speaking at Yaqub
Ibn Yusuf's enchanting Olam Katan (Small World) Jerusalem bookstore, said Israel is a light to the
nations of the Arab and Muslim world.
Azeri President Aliyev
Jerusalem Post journalist Elli Wohlgelernter returned from a visit to Azerbaijan's capital Baku
astounded at the affection Azeri Muslims show their Jewish neighbors.
Heydar Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, said, We never knew this phenomenon (Jew-hatred) and we
shall never allow it in our country. This is our firm and unshakeable position.
Turkish Delight
September Eleventh, the same day Saudi U.S. petrodollar fueled Wahhabi 1 Welcome Wagons (hijacked
jumbo jets) brought the houses down making door-to-building deliveries of the Desert King-dom's
greetings in New York and D.C. (thousands of Arabs got all burnt up and died laughing while watching
the show on Qatar's Wahhabi al-Jazeera Satellite T.V.), the Brothers Dallal were visiting Istanbul.
Brother Etgar, a Jerusalem Post journalist, and Brother Jacob, an I.D.F. Spokesperson's Office captain,
were filled with Turkish Delight when describing the warm welcome they received as Israeli Jews at
the Sublime Porte.
412
Madrid, 1492:
Madrid, 1492: Ottoman Turkey welcomed Spanish Jewish refugees when the Iberian Troika of
Ferdinand, Isabella and Torquemada sank Spain into a 500 year siesta by expelling the Peninsula's
Jewish community (those who stayed were forced to convert to Catholicism).
Bayezid, the Ottoman Turkish Sultan, was asked what he thought of Ferdinand the (so-called) Wise.
How can that king be called wise who impoverishes his kingdom to enrich mine? replied Bayezid.
Spanish Catholic Church Caudillos hope to turn Queen Isabella into a Salsa Cinderella at the Vatican's
Beatification Ball: Izzy makes us dizzy with her good morals and should be re-registered as a saint,
say these bull fighters for her Most Catholic Monarch's honor.
Tashkent, 1942:
Tashkent, 1492: Uzbeks and Kazakhs welcomed tens of thousands of Nazi German Jewish Genocide
Holocaust refugees, resettled in their Muslim republics by Soviet authorities during World War Two.
I am a Jew
While Hanna Arendt was busy banalizing the evil of bad boyfriend (and married family man), Herr
Professor Dr. Martin Jew-hating Zieg Heil Heidegger (Deconstructionists can turn any picture into
unconnected dots), Uzbek national poet (and father of the current defense minister) Ghafur Golomor
was publishing his 1942 poem, entitled, I Am a Jew.
Uzbek President Karimov
Islam Karimov, President of Uzbekistan, said, There has never been, and I believe there never will be,
anti-Semitism here in Uzbekistan.
Turkish, Caucasian and Central Asian Sunni Muslim moral courage is contagious.
Indonesian President Wahid
Abdurrahman Wahid, Indonesia's most respected Muslim spiritual leader (Wahid heads Indonesia's
Nahdlatul Ulama movement) and former president, has repeatedly called on his own and other Muslim
nations to recognise Israel.
Iranian Mullah Nouri
Abdullah Nouri, Iran's most popular (real) reform cleric, sits in jail for refusing to recant his call for
Iran to recognise Israel (and the U.S.). Nouri's spiritual mentor, Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, has been
under house arrest for years.
413
Iran's Mad Murderous Kho-Maniac Mullah-ocracy is to Shi'ite Islam what the Thugdom of Saudi
Arabia's U.S. petrodollar profit funded Worldwide Wahhabi Mass Murder and Missionary Movement
is to Sunni Islam: Dr. Jekel's Mr. Hyde.
Afghan President Karzai
Hamid Karzai, Afghan Prime Minister, believes as do his fellow Pathans that Pathans are descendents
of the Lost Tribes of Israel. Pathans believe that the name Afghanistan derives from Afghana, said to
be King Saul's grandson.
Robert Kaplan, in his book Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan
(Vintage Books, 2001), relates the response of his Pathan mujahidin (anti-Soviet holy warrior) hosts
when he told them he was a New York Jew:
When I told Wakhil that I was Jewish, his only comment was: 'Jews and Christians are People of the Book'.
(Another mujahid had said, 'Are Jews anti-Soviet?' After thinking for a second, I said yes). At no time did
these so-called Muslim 'fundamentalists' make me feel uncomfortable.
Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan, pages 109-110
All the above mentioned nations rejoice at the downfall of the Taliban, Saudi Arabia's spiritual satellite
and surrogate murderers.
The Taliban, whose takeover of post-Soviet Afghanistan was backed by both the U.S. Central
Intelligence Agency and Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence Agency, are infected with an Indian
strain of the al-Saud tribal Wahhabi religion known as Deobandism (named after the Indian city
Deoband where this spiritual disease took hold).
Saudi Arabia works 24/7 to spread its Wahhabi religion via missions and murder (terrorism)
throughout the ethnic Turkic, Sunni Muslim majority nations of the Middle East, Caucasus and Central
Asia.
Prince Caspians
Oil discovered in the Caspian Sea basin is welcome news for the world.
Caucasian, Caspian and Cossack Clampetts may drag race Rolls Royces with Beverly Hillbillies on
Sunset Strip: Let them have a good time and enjoy their Nouveau Oil wealth!
Unlike the al Saud Wahhabi offspring of Muhammad Ibn 'Abdi-l-Wahhab's daughter and Muhammad
bin Saud's son a Fatal Attraction for Mankind the descendents of Genghis Khan, Timur
(Tamerlane) and Babur will not recycle U.S. Oil Oligargh brokered petrodollars to finance worldwide
Wahhabi mass murder and missionary movements.
We must move from Fred Flintstone fossil fuel antique energy sources of (burn, baby, burn!) oil, coal
and gas to George Jetson advanced energy sources of fusion, fuel cells and hydrogen.
414
Nineteenth Century
The 19th Century was the Age of Coal and England.
Twentieth Century
The 20th Century was the Age of Oil and America.
Twenty First Century
May the 21st Century be the Age of Messianic Motors and Messiah (Israel's anointed king).
While we wait to make the jump into hydrogen energy hyperspace, let us turn the taps off on the Saudi
Sheherazade and her Wahhabi Arabian Knights and turn them on for the Central Asian Tamerlane.
Tashkent Dreamin'
The other day that is poetic license, as A thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is
past (Psalm 90:4) I met Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bukhari at Ben Gurion Airport.
Sheikh Bukhari was waiting with Muslim and Jewish fellow travelers to board an Uzbek Airways flight
from Tel Aviv to Tashkent (with four daily flights, Sheikh Palazzi of Rome says there are more daily
flights between Israel and Uzbekistan than there are between Israel and Italy).
Sheikh Bukhari, a personal friend of Uzbek President Islam Karimov, is a direct descendent of Imam
Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari (810-870 C.E.), whose book Sahih al-Bukhari (The Correct
Bukhari), a collection of sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, is viewed by Muslims as the most
important book in Islam after the Qur'an itself.
Sheikh Bukhari, whose family moved to Jerusalem from Bukhara in what is now Uzbekistan three
hundred years ago, serves as head of the Uzbeki Muslim community in Israel and as head of the
Naqshabandi Sufi Order in Israel.
I asked Sheikh Bukhari what he would have thought 12 years ago in 1990 had someone said that the
Soviet Union will soon disappear, the Uzbek people will be independent and free, establish diplomatic
relations with Israel, that an Uzbek president would pay Israel a state visit and go up to Jerusalem, and
that Uzbek Airways would fly four daily flights weekly between Tashkent and Tel Aviv.
Such a person, said Sheikh Bukhari, would be like unto them that dream (Psalm 126:1).
Then came the word of the Lord to Jeremiah, saying: 'Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there
anything too hard for Me?'
Jeremiah 32:26 (from last week's Sabbath prophetic reading for 22 Iyar/May 4)
415
May We Merit
We witnessed the end of Ronald Reagan's Evil Empire.
May we merit to soon witness the coming collapse of the U.S. Oil Oligarch backed and petrodollar
profit funded Wahhabi Thugdom of Saudi Arabia and its royal family. May we merit to soon witness
the destruction of the Worldwide Wahhabi Mass Murder and Missionary Movement.
May we merit to soon witness the liberation of Mecca and Medina, Holy Cities of Islam, from al-Saud
Wahhabi defilement, pollution and illegal occupation (conquered by the Al Saud from the Bani
Hashem in 1926).
May we merit to soon witness the return of the Holy Cities of Islam to their traditional guardians, the
Bani HaShem (Hashemite dynasty), a truly royal family which traces its lineage directly to
Muhammad, Prophet of Islam.
And may we merit to soon witness the establishment of a Turkic-Israel Federation with the pro-Jewish,
pro-Israel, pro-American ethnic Turkic, Sunni Muslim majority nations of the Middle East, Caucasus
and Central Asia.
416
Section Five
417
Introduction to Section Five

This new section is added to the Second Edition of Cracking the Qur'an Code.
On Sunday, January 16th, 2011, I gave a talk to the Westchester-Rockland County Chapter of the
Zionist Organization of America, at the home of Dr. Annabelle and Herb Wolfzahn, in Scarsdale, New
York. Annabelle and Herb are long time friends of my parents. Annabelle made many introductions for
me here in Westchester, to help promote my book. This talk appears as Chapter One of Section Five,
on page 419.
Annabelle introduced me to Mrs. Barbara Fix, Founder and Chairwoman of Dogs for Defense
http://dogsfordefense.org/, who interviewed me on her weekly radio program on WVOX in New
Rochelle http://www.wvox.com/;, Mr. Elliot Forchheimer, Executive Director of the Westchester
Jewish Council http://www.wjconference.org/, who publicized my talk to the Z.O.A. on the Council's
Website; and Mrs. Cheryl Millman, who twice invited me to speak to her class at Beth El Synagogue
Center in New Rochelle http://www.bethelnr.org/. Annabelle, thanks for all your help.
At the beginning of February, 2011, I wrote a letter of support for Egyptian freedom fighters. This
letter appears as Chapter Two of Section Five, on page 432.
The complete text of the letter was published on Wednesday, February 2, 2011, by Fazal-ur Rehman
Afridi, a Pakistani Muslim Pathan journalist, and pro-Jewish and pro-Israel activist, living in political
exile in France, on Fazal's Khyber Institute for Strategic Studies website:
http://balkanisationofpakistan.rsfblog.org/archive/2011/02/02/message-to-egyptian-brothers-andsisters-from-an-american-is.html
An abridged text of the letter was published, in English and Arabic, on Thursday, February 3, 2011, by
Maikel Nabil Sanad, an Egyptian veterinarian, and pro-Jewish and pro-Israel activist, on his website:
http://www.maikelnabil.com/2011/02/message-of-solidarity-from-israeli.html
http://www.maikelnabil.com/2011/02/blog-post_234.html
Since then, Maikel, a conscientious objector, has been sentenced to three years in prison by the
Egyptian government for refusing to serve in the Egyptian army. We hope Maikel, who fought actively
for the freedom on his fellow Egyptians, will himself be free soon.
Jerusalem, Israel
April 5, 2011 C.E.
1 Jumada Al-Awwal, 1432 A.H.
418
Section Five
Chapter One
Remarks by Lowell Joseph Gallin to the WestchesterRockland County Chapter of the Zionist Organization of
America
Hosted by Dr. Annabelle Wolfzahn, Chapter President, at the Wolfzahn
Home in Scarsdale, New York, on Sunday, January 16th, 2011
We read in chapter seven of the Qur'an, Sura A'raf, "The Heights", verse 137 (Ali Qur'an, pages 379380; Cracking the Qur'an Code, page 194):
"And We [Allah/God] made a people considered weak (and of no account) inheritors of lands in both East
and West, - lands whereon We [Allah/God] sent down Our blessings. The fair promise of thy Lord
[Allah/God] was fulfilled for the Children of Israel, because they had patience and constancy, and We
[Allah/God] leveled to the ground the great Works and fine Buildings which Pharaoh and his people erected
(with such pride)".
Professor Abdullah Yusuf Ali comments (Note 1096 - Ali Qur'an, page 380; Cracking the Qur'an
Code, page 195):
"Israel, which was despised, became a great and glorious nation under Solomon. He had goodly territory
and was doubly blest. His land and people were prosperous, and He was blessed with wisdom from God. His
sway and his fame spread east and west. And thus God's promise to Israel was fulfilled. Note that Syria and
Palestine had once been under the sway of Egypt".
I wrote Cracking the Qur'an Code: God's Land, Torah and People Covenants with Israel in the Qur'an
and Islamic Tradition http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=3743146 , in honor and based on the
teachings of Dr. Asher Eder of Jerusalem, Israel; and Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi
http://www.amislam.com/ of Rome, Italy.
Dr. Eder and Sheikh Palazzi serve as Jewish and Muslim Co-Founders and Co-Chairmen of the IslamIsrael Fellowship (established 1997) of the Root and Branch Association, Ltd. (established 1981)
http://lowellgallin.com.
We packed our book with over 200 pages of theological antioxidants, Qur'anic quotations and
traditional Islamic commentaries thereon, which clearly show that the Qur'an unequivocally affirms
God's Land, Torah and People Covenants with Israel.
419
What are those Covenants?

1. The Land Covenant: God - the God of Israel - gave the Land of Israel to the Children of Israel.
2. The Torah Covenant: God gave His Torah to the Children of Israel.
3. The People Covenant: God chose the Children of Israel to believe in Him and to live faithfully
according to His Torah in the Land of Israel.
A1. The Land Covenant in the Qur'an - one example:
We read in chapter ten of the Qur'an, Sura Yunus, "Jonah", verse 93 (Ali Qur'an, page 508; Cracking
the Qur'an Code, page 167):
"We [Allah/God] settled the Children of Israel in a beautiful dwelling-place, and provided for them
sustenance of the best".
Code, page 167):
"After many wanderings, the Israelites were settled in the land of Canaan, described as 'a land flowing with
milk and honey' (Exodus 3:8). They had a prosperous land; and they were supplied with spiritual sustenance
by men sent to deliver God's message".
B1. The Torah Covenant in the Qur'an - one example:

We read in chapter five of the Qur'an, Sura Maida, "The Table", verse 44 (Ali Qur'an, pages 256-257;
Cracking the Qur'an Code, page 250):
"It was We [Allah/God] who revealed the Law (to Moses); therein was guidance and light. By its standard
have been judged the Jews, by the Prophets who bowed (as in Islam) to God's Will, by the Rabbis and the
Doctors of Law: for to them was entrusted the protection of God's Book, and they were witnesses thereto".
Professor Abdullah Yusuf Ali comments (Notes 751-752 - Ali Qur'an, pages 256-57; Cracking the
Qur'an Code, pages 250-251):
"(751) 'Rabbani' may, I think, be rightly translated by the Jewish titleof Rabbi for their learned men. Jewish
learning is identified with Rabbinical literature. 'Ahbar' is the plural of 'hibr' or 'habr', by which we may
understand Jewish Doctors of Law.... (752) They were living witnesses to the truth of Scripture".
420
C1. The People Covenant in the Qur'an - one example:

We read in chapter two of the Qur'an, Sura Al Baqarah, "The Cow", verse 40 (Ali Qur'an, page 27;
Cracking the Qur'an Code, page 304):
"O Children of Israel! call to mind the (special) favor which I [Allah/God] bestowed upon you, and fulfil
your Covenant with Me [Allah/God] as I fulfill My Covenant with you, and fear none but Me [Allah/God]".
Professor Abdullah Yusuf Ali comments (Note 58 - Ali Qur'an, page 27; Cracking the Qur'an Code,
page 304):
"The appeal is made to Israel subjectively in terms of their own tradition. You claim to be a favoured nation:
have you forgotten My [Allah/God's] favours? You claim a special Covenant with Me [Allah/God]. I have
fulfilled My [Allah/God's] part of the Covenant by bringing you out of the land of bondage and giving you
Canaan, the land 'flowing with milk and honey'. How have you fulfilled your part of the Covenant? If you
fear Me [Allah/God], nothing else will matter".
Real peace between the Children of Israel and the Children of Ishmael in the Land of Israel can only be
based on honoring God's Land, Torah and People Covenants with Israel, as affirmed by both the Jewish
Tanach (Israelite/Jewish Bible) and the Islamic Qur'an.
Real peace between the Children of Israel and the Children of Ishmael in the Land of Israel will be
made tribe by tribe, clan by clan and family by family.
Please do not get nervous. We are going to rattle the theological saber for a moment here.
We believe - Sheikh Palazzi, Dr. Eder and I - we believe that honoring God's Land, Torah and People
Covenants with Israel is a commandment, not a "policy option". Time give to the nations to honor these
covenants is not unlimited. We hope that the leaders of the nations today will make the right choices, in
the time left for them to do so.
We rattled the theological saber for a moment. Let's continue on a happier, here and now, subject.
Sheikh Palazzi, Dr. Eder and I hope our book helps get the word out about Muslims, and Muslimmajority nations - yes, they exist - who are pro-American and pro-Israel, and who respect Christians
and Jews as what the Qur'an calls the "People of the Book", and who respect good people of all
religions.
Let's call that Roll of Honor:
The ethnic Turkic, Sunni Muslim majority nations of Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Middle East.
(Footnote: Please see Cracking the Qur'an Code, Section Four Central Asia, page 389, Chapter One
"From the Bosporus to the Borders of China: One Hundred and Twenty Eight Million, Six Hundred
and Seventy Thousand Friends - The Pro-Jewish, Pro-Israel, Ethnic Turkic, Sunni Muslim Majority
421
Nations of the Middle East: Turkey; the Caucasus: Azerbaijan; Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan" by Lowell Gallin. Page 411, Chapter Two "From the
Bosporus to the Borders of China: 128 Million Muslim Friends - Time for a Turkic-Israel Federation"
by Lowell Gallin)
Central Asia:
Kazakhstan
(Muslim population 8,822,000; percentage of total Kazakh population 56.4%)
(Government of Kazakhstan)
http://en.government.kz/
(Embassy of Kazakhstan in Israel)
http://www.kazakhemb.org.il/
(Embassy of Israel in Kazakhstan)
http://astana.mfa.gov.il/mfm/web/main/missionhome.asp?
LanguageID=0&Question2=&MissionID=99&MissionID=
Kyrgyzstan
(Muslim population 4,734,000; percentage of total Kyrgyz population 86.3%)
(Government of Kyrgyzstan)
http://www.gov.kg/
(Honorary Consuls of Kyrgyzstan in Israel)
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Sherut/ForeignInIsrael/Continents/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/
Tajikistan
(Muslim population 5,848,000; percentage of total Tajik population 84.1%)
(Government of Tajikistan)
http://www.tjus.org/
(Footnote: Tajikistan is 65% Tajik and 25% Uzbek).
Turkmenistan
(Muslim population 4,757,000; percentage of total Turkmen population 93.1%)
(Government of Turkmenistan)
http://www.turkmenistan.gov.tm/_en/
(Honorary Consul of Turkmenistan in Israel)
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Sherut/ForeignInIsrael/Continents/Asia/Turkmenistan/
422
Uzbekistan
(Muslim population 26,469,000; percentage of total Uzbek population 96.3%)
(Government of Uzbekistan)
www.gov.uz/en/
(Embassy of Uzbekistan in Israel)
http://www.uzbembassy.org.il/
(Embassy of Israel in Uzbekistan)
http://israel.visahq.com/embassy/Uzbekistan/
Caucasus:
Azerbaijan
(Muslim population 8,765,000; percentage of total Azeri population 99.2%)
(Government of Azerbaijan)
http://www.president.az/?locale=en
(Embassy of Israel in Azerbaijan)
http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/Israel/Israel2.html
Middle East:
Turkey
(Muslim population 73,619,000; percentage of total Turkish population 98.0%)
(Government of Turkey)
http://www.tccb.gov.tr/pages/
(Embassy of Turkey in Israel)
http://www.musavirlikler.gov.tr/index.cfm?dil=EN&ulke=IL
(Embassy of Israel in Turkey)
http://israel.visahq.com/embassy/Turkey/
(Footnote: People in Turkey, not Turkey's current Wahhabi/Salafi MuslimBrotherhood ruling party).
End references to the ethnic Turkic majority nations.
423
We continue with our Roll of Honor:

Balkans:
Albania
(Muslim population 2,522,000; percentage of total Albanian population 79.9%)
(Government of Albania)
http://www.keshilliministrave.al/?gj=gj2
(Embassy of Albania in Israel)
http://albania.visahq.com/embassy/Israel/
Africa:
Nigeria
(Muslim population 78,056,000; percentage of total Nigerian population 50.4%)
(Government of Nigeria)
http://www.nigeria.gov.ng/
(Embassy of Nigeria in Israel)
http://www.nigerianembassy.co.il/
(Embassy of Israel in Nigeria)
http://abuja.mfa.gov.il/mfm/web/main/missionhome.asp?MissionID=20397
Sierra Leone
(Muslim population 4,059,000; percentage of total Sierran population 71.3%)
(Government of Sierra Leone)
http://www.statehouse.gov.sl/
(Embassy of Sierra Leone in Israel)
http://sierra-leone.visahq.com/embassy/Israel/
(Footnote: Regarding escalating attacks in Africa by Muslims against Christians. Homework: Please
read, New York Post, July 19, 2010, "The Coming Crusade: African Christians verses Islamists" by
Colonel Ralph Peters, whose endorsement appears on the back cover of Cracking the Qur'an Code
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/the_coming_crusade_Z9uUphPo0KFvXK5i3
wzlzJ).
424
At this point some of you may want to ask the following two questions. If you do not, I certainly do:
1. All those nice verses from the Qur'an you cited about God's Land, Torah and People Covenants
with Israel - what about all those nasty verses about Jews and Christians?
2. All those nice Muslims and Muslim-majority nations, who are pro-American, pro-Israel and
who respect Christians and Jews as what the Qur'an calls "People of the Book" - what about all
those nasty Muslims, and Muslim-majority nations, who are all doped up on Jew-hatred, Israelhatred and Holocaust denial, who are blowing up themselves and the world as suicidemurderers, slicing off heads and filming the decapitations on video? What about them?
Let's introduce two theological keys here.
Then we will turn to the Dark Side of the Force that is Islam.
1. Theological Key Number One: All negative verses in the Qur'an about the Children of Israel,
about Jews - as with the Tanach (Israelite/Jewish Bible) - must be read within the context of
both the Qur'an's and the Tanach's affirmations of God's Land, Torah and People Covenants
with Israel. God's Covenants with Israel are never seen as abrogated, no matter how much the
Children of Israel fail and fall. Replacement Theology and there have been and are streams of
Replacement Theology in both Christianity and Islam - has no place. What about the negative
comments about Christians in the Qur'an? Same thing. The Qur'an affirms that God also made a
covenant with the Christians. He gave them a book - the Greet Testament, and a prophet
Jesus.
2. Theological Key Number Two: Question - What about all those nasty Muslims and Muslimmajority nations? (Footnote: While most Arabs are Muslims, most Muslims are not Arabs. The
world's most populous Muslim nations are Indonesia, India and Bangladesh, in that order.
Arabs constitute only twenty percent of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims, of whom 90% are
Sunni, and 10% are Shi'ite). Well, what about all those nasty Muslims, and Muslim-majority
nations? Answer - A religion, any religion, will only be as good as it's: A. Sacred scriptures, B.
Traditions of interpretation, C. Who is doing the interpreting.
Let's turn to the Dark Side of the Force that is Islam. Just for a moment.
This subject is dealt with in Cracking the Qur'an Code, page 79, Section Two, Chapter Two, Address
by Sheikh Palazzi to the International Conference on Countering Suicide Terrorism, Institute for
Counter Terrorism, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzlyia, Israel, February 20-23, 2000.
Ground Zero for global "Muslim" mass murder is Riyadh, capital of "Saudi" Arabia. Arabia only
became "Saudi" after the Al Saud Bedouin tribe, from Najd, in northeastern Arabia:
425
1. Drove the Bani HaShem (Hashemites) out of Mecca and Medina, holy cities of Islam, from
1924-26. The Hashemites had been the traditional guardians of Mecca and Medina since the
tenth century C.E.;
2. Conquered much of the rest of the Arabian peninsula;
3. Proclaimed their "kingdom" of "Saudi" Arabia in 1932.
"Saudi" Arabia's control of the holy cities of Islam in western Arabia, and the oil producing regions of
eastern Arabia, is a terribly toxic mix of religious and economic power - a double whammy which has
facilitated the worldwide spread of their satanic tribal Wahhabi/Salafi suicide-murder death cult.
The state religion of "Saudi" Arabia is Wahhabism.
The Al Saud Bedouin tribe adopted the Wahhabi religion in the mid-1700s.
This religion is named for its founder, Muhammad Ibn Abd Al-Wahhab, who was excommunicated by
leading Sunni scholars of the day for his numerous heresies.
Wahhabis, as they are called by Sunnis and Shi'ites, call themselves "Salafis".
99.9% of all global "Muslim" mass murder groups are Wahhabi in theology and "Saudi" Arabian,
Kuwait and Gulf State Arab in recycled petro-dollar profit funding.
Well known Wahhabi mass murder groups include:
1. al Qaeda, under the leadership of Osama Bin Laden (assuming he is still alive);
2. The Muslim Brotherhood, under the leadership of Yusuf Al Qaradawi (who is very much still
alive) of Qatar;
3. Hamas, "Palestinian" branch of the international Muslim Brotherhood;
4. The Taliban of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Taliban are ethnic Pathans (Pashtun) who follow
an Indian version of Wahhabism known as Deobandism. Deobandism is named after the city of
Deoband in northern India, where Wahhabi missionaries from Arabia set up shop at the end of
the nineteenth century.
(Footnote: There are 49 million Pathans in the world today, half up in the mountains of Afghanistan
and Pakistan and half in a worldwide Pathan Diaspora. The traditional Islam of the Pathans is a soft
species of Sunni Islam, heavily scented with Sufi mysticism. Pathan society was shattered and pretty
much destroyed during the Afghan Communist revolution of 1978 and subsequent Soviet invasion,
mass murder and genocide during a decade long occupation ending in 1988. Around 1.3 million
Afghans, primarily Pathans, were slaughtered by the Soviets, millions more were crippled and maimed,
often by mines with which the Soviets blanketed the country, and several million more ended up
fleeing the Soviet carnage to Pakistan and Iran....Most Pathans proudly believe that they are
descendants of the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel, that they are Bani Israel (Children of Israel). My next
book, now in progress, which I hope will help awaken this slumbering spiritual colossus, is called
"Return of the Pathans").
426
"Saudi" Arabian, Kuwait and Gulf State financing of global Wahhabi mass murder networks is state
sponsored terrorism, from the ruling tribal crime families on down. 90 plus percent of "Muslim"
mosques, "community center" and "public interest" groups in the West are Wahhabi outfits, financed
by "Saudi" Arabia, Kuwait and the Gulf States. Potemkin Village fantasy operations, these outfits have
little or no local constituencies.
The industrial iron lungs of these global Wahhabi terror sponsoring states - "Saudi" Arabia, Kuwait and
the Gulf States - are kept pumping primarily by our own U.S. oil giants.
U.S. oil giants pay no U.S. taxes on their leviathan level foreign income (Footnote: Look up the U.S.
Oil Depletion Allowance Act of 1949) derived from barrels of oil sold at zillions of times the real cost
of production. Doing business with "Saudi" Arabia, Kuwait and the Gulf States is, in effect, trading
with the enemy during war time.
The Arab Bedouin tribal crime families ruling the global Wahhabi terror sponsoring states - "Saudi"
Arabia, Kuwait and the Gulf States - must be removed from power, their assets seized, and their global
Wahhabi mass murder networks shut down.
We spoke before about a Roll of Honor.
Let us speak about a Debt of Honor.
We owe a Debt of Honor to stop the murder and maiming (physical and psychological) of our soldiers
in Afghanistan by the "Saudi", Kuwait and Gulf State funded Wahhabi Taliban. We need an American
foreign policy for America, one no longer hijacked by elements of our oil and banking establishment.
An American foreign policy for America based on faith in the God of Israel and our commitment as a
nation to honor and live faithfully according to His Noahide Covenant and Laws:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/141085/covenant .
Let's conclude these opening remarks with:
1. Two additional positive and uplifting verses from the Qur'an, one about Jerusalem and one
about the Temple of Solomon.
2. Passages from the Tanach (Israelite/Jewish Bible), which show that from a prophetic
perspective, in the rapidly approaching Messianic Era, the story of the conflict between Ishmael
and Israel, Muslims and Jews, Arabs and Israelis, has a happy ending/new beginning.
1a. Jerusalem in the Qur'an:
We read in chapter two of the Qur'an, Sura Al Baqarah, "The Heifer", verse 259 (Ali Qur'an, pages
104-105; Cracking the Qur'an Code, page 330):
"Or (take) the similitude of one who passed by a hamlet, all in ruin to its roots. He said: 'Oh! How shall God
bring it (ever) to life, after (this) its death?'"
427
Professor Abdullah Yusuf Ali comments (Note 304 - Ali Qur'an, page 105; Cracking the Qur'an Code,
pages 330-31):
"This incident is referred variously [by the traditional Muslim commentators] (1) to Ezekiel's vision of dry
bones (Ezekiel 37:1-10) (2) to Nehemiah's visit to Jerusalem in ruins after the Captivity, and to its rebuilding
(Nehemiah 1:12-20) and (3) to 'Uzair, or Ezra, or Esdras, the scribe, priest and reformer, who was sent by
the Persian King after the Captivity to Jerusalem, and about whom there are many Jewish legends".
1b. Temple of Solomon of Jerusalem in the Qur'an:

We read in chapter thirty four of the Qur'an, Sura Saba, "City of Saba", verses 12-13 (Ali Qur'an, pages
1136-1137; Cracking the Qur'an Code, page 353):
"(12) And to Solomon...We [Allah/God] made a Font of molten brass to flow for him; and there were Jinns
that worked in front of him, by the leave of his Lord [Allah/God]....(13) They worked for him as he desired
(making) Arches, images, Basons as large as Reservoirs, and (cooking) Cauldrons fixed (in their places):
'Work ye, sons of David, with thanks!'"
Professor Abdullah Yusuf Ali comments (Notes 3804, 3807 - Ali Qur'an, pages 1136-1137; Cracking
the Qur'an Code, pages 354-55):
"(3804) In the Old Testament, 2 Chronicles, Chapters 3, and 4, are described the various costly materials
with which Solomon's Temple was built, and it was furnished with vessels, candle-sticks, lamps, censers,
etc....(3807) The building of the Temple was a great event in Israelite history. The motto here given is 'Work!'
For only that would justify, the maintenance of the kingdom of David, which reached its zenith under
Solomon. Without work, both literally and figuratively for 'righteous deeds', all that glory & power would be
out of place, and it fell away in a few generations, with the decline of the moral spirit which was at its back".
2a. Excerpts from the Tanach (Israelite/Jewish Bible):

Our final verses are from the Tanach (Israelite/Jewish Bible), about the coming peace in the Middle
East. I now conclude with excerpts from the Introduction to Cracking the Qur'an Code, excerpted from
pages 17-19:
If you ask what "Cracking the Qur'an Code" is about, I will answer: "A warriors' guide for the gathering
global Islamic Zionist Jihad".
Hearing a response like that, you may believe that Lowell has either lost his mind or speaks only about a
"state of mind".
After reading this book we will see if you still believe that.
428
In the not-too-distant future, I believe that the world will hear Muslims chanting "Allahu Akbar" (God is
great) and "Am Yisrael Chai" (The People of Israel lives). Together.
In the not-too-distant past, two brothers, Ishmael the elder and Isaac the younger, buried Abraham their
father. Together:
And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, a hundred and threescore and fifteen
years. And Abraham expired, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to
his people. And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the
son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre; the field which Abraham purchased of the children of Heth;
there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.
Genesis 25:7-10
In the not-too-distant future, I believe that the Children of Ishmael and the Children of Israel (Jacob/Israel Abraham's grandson, Isaac's younger son and Ishmael's nephew) will replant and rebuild the Lands of
Arabia and Israel, as part of a truly new Middle East. Together:
"In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria,and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the
third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth; for that the Lord of hosts hath blessed
him, saying: 'Blessed be Egypt My people and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel Mine inheritance'".
Isaiah 19:23-25
In the not-too-distant future, I believe that two brothers, Nebaioth and Kedar, Ishmael's first and second born
sons, will bring offerings to the rebuilt Third and Final Temple of Jerusalem. Together:
Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid,
bore unto Abraham. And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their
generations: The first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, and Mishma, and
Dumah, and Massa; Hadad and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedem; these are the sons of Ishmael, and these
are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments; twelve princes according to their nations.
Genesis 25:12-15
Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, darkness shall
cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but upon thee the Lord will arise, and His glory shall be
seen upon thee. And nations shall walk at thy light, and kings at the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes
round about, and see: They all are gathered together, and come to thee; thy sons come from afar, and thy
daughters are born on the side. Then thou shalt see and be radiant and thy heart shall throb and be
enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned unto thee, the wealth of the nations shall come
unto thee. The caravan of camels shall cover thee, and of the young camels of Midian and Ephah, all coming
429
from Sheba; they shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praises of the Lord. All the flocks
of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee; they shall come
up with acceptance on mine altar, and i will glorify my glorious house".
Isaiah 60:1-7
A few years ago, I was on a Jerusalem construction site together with an Arab foreman and his two young
co-workers. The foreman spoke of the problems plaguing Arabs and Jews in the Promised Land. I said that a
descendant of David, the King Messiah, would arise to sit on the throne of his fathers, and that he would
bring peace between Arabs and Jews in the Promised Land.
"When?" the foreman quietly asked.
"Soon", I answered.
No one spoke. Silently, we stood together. Though we were alone on a construction site, and I could easily
have had an "accident", I felt no fear of these Arab construction workers. I spoke with honor and respect for
King David, whom I knew they respected.
The Qur'an says that David was a prophet and a king, and the author of the Psalms.
One day, hopefully soon, David's descendant will come, and bring peace to the Land of Israel and the whole
world.
Ali Qur'an Source:

Ali, Abdullah Yusuf. The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary. Elmhurst: Tahrike Tarsile
Qur'an, Inc. U.S. Edition 2005. (Exact reproduction of original 1938 Third Edition. Lahore: Sh.
Muhammad Ashraf Publishers. First published 1934). read@koranusa.org, http://koranusa.org
430
Section Five
Chapter Two
Message to Egyptian Freedom Fighters from an American
Israeli Jew
Lowell Gallin
(Complete Text/English Published Wednesday, February 2, 2011)
http://balkanisationofpakistan.rsfblog.org/archive/2011/02/02/message-to-egyptian-brothers-andsisters-from-an-american-is.html
(Abridged Text/English Published Thursday, February 3, 2011))
http://www.maikelnabil.com/2011/02/message-of-solidarity-from-israeli.html
(Abridged Text/Arabic translation Published Thursday, February 3, 2011)
http://www.maikelnabil.com/2011/02/blog-post_234.html
Dear Egyptian Brothers and Sisters,
I have been watching your fight for freedom on TV this past week. This is a message of support for
your struggle. I hope you will accept it in the spirit with which it is offered.
We read in chapter seven of the Qur'an, Sura A'raf, "The Heights", verse 137 (Ali Qur'an, pages 379380; Cracking the Qur'an Code, page 194):
"And We [Allah/God] made a people considered weak (and of no account) inheritors of lands in both East
and West, - lands whereon We [Allah/God] sent down Our blessings. The fair promise of thy Lord
[Allah/God] was fulfilled for the Children of Israel, because they had patience and constancy, and We
[Allah/God] leveled to the ground the great Works and fine Buildings which Pharaoh and his people erected
(with such pride)".
Code, page 195):
"Israel, which was despised, became a great and glorious nation under Solomon. He had goodly territory
and was doubly blest. His land and people were prosperous, and He was blessed with wisdom from God. His
431
sway and his fame spread east and west. And thus God's promise to Israel was fulfilled.
Note that Syria and Palestine had once been under the sway of Egypt".
It seems to me that this is exactly what is happening in Egypt today.

God, through you, His servants, is leveling "to the ground the great works and fine buildings which
pharaoh and his people erected (with such pride)".
The Pharaoh, in this case, is Pharaoh Mubarak.
In my book, Cracking the Qur'an Code: God's Land, Torah and People Covenants with Israel in the
Qur'an and Islamic Tradition http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=3743146, I include many verses
from the Qur'an about Moses and Pharaoh, and how God sent Moses to lead the Children of Israel out
of Pharaoh's bondage, and how many Egyptians believed in God, and were persecuted and martyred by
Pharaoh for their faith in Him.
I hope that these verses, from your own Qur'an, will be a source of comfort and inspiration to you in
your fight for freedom, which I have complete faith will be victorious.
Please know that many, many, many people in Israel are with you in your fight for freedom - send your
wounded to us, we have very good doctors and hospitals. They will welcome you in and help you!
I am also sending you two songs, songs of freedom from Chanukah, our festival of freedom, The
Festival of Lights, which I hope will help inspire you to continue on to victory, until the Pharaoh who
oppresses you now is swept away into the Red Sea, as was his predecessor of old. This excerpt is from
Maoz Tsur (Rock of Ages), and it applies to you, today:
"Your's the message sharing,
that the time is nearing,
which will see,
all men free,
and tyrants disappearing".
Here are two versions of Maoz Tsur, one sung by a lady, for Egyptian sisters (remember, that after
God's triumph at the Red Sea over Pharaoh and his hosts, the Daughters of Israel and Miriam, sang
together, separately, from the men). The other, sung by a man, is for Egyptian brothers.
Here they are:
For Egyptian Brothers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6uaKrs_Kls
432
For Egyptian Sisters:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTiKOQ8cLfY
The following excerpt is from the Book of Isaiah. God says, through His Servant the Prophet Isaiah, the
following (Isaiah 19:23-25):
"In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the
third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, for that the LORD of hosts hath
blessed him, saying: 'Blessed be Egypt My people and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel Mine
inheritance'".
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt1019.htm
The People of Egypt lives.
The People of Assyria lives.
The People of Israel lives.
Together, with faith in God and a commitment to live according to His Covenants, we will plant and
build a truly New Middle East.
Together.
May the God of Israel watch over you in your days of trouble and trial, until your coming victory.
Shalom from Yerushalayim,

http://lowellgallin.com
433
434
Conclusion
When Cracking the Qur'an Code first went to publication, on Thursday, December 31, 2009, Sheikh
Abdul Hadi and Mrs. (Dr. Luisa) Palazzi were on a two week visit to Eretz Yisrael to show their
solidarity with the People of Israel.
On Tuesday evening, December 29, Sheikh Palazzi and Dr. Eder, Muslim and Jewish Co-Founders and
Co-Chairs of the R&B Islam-Israel Fellowship, spoke in the Root and Branch Association Lecture
Series at the Orthodox Union Israel Center, located on Keren Hayesod Street 22 in Jerusalem.
Dr. Eder spoke at 6:00 p.m. on "Jerusalem-Zion: Burdensome Stone or City of Peace". Sheikh Palazzi
spoke at 8:00 p.m. on "The First, Second and Third Israelite Temples of Jerusalem in the Qur'an and
Islamic Tradition".
Sheikh Palazzi's talk was chaired by Professor Nahum Rakover. Professor Rakover, a recipient of the
Israel Prize, is Founder and President of the Jewish Legal Heritage Society mishpativri.org.il. He is
also former Deputy Attorney General of the State of Israel, former Advisor to the Knesset on Jewish
Law and former Professor of Law at Bar-Ilan University.
Professor Rakover was the first person to invite Sheikh Palazzi to Israel, after meeting the Sheikh at a
conference in Turkey in 1995. Sheikh Palazzi arrived in Israel for his first visit in July, 1996 as a guest
of Professor Rakover to address the Third International Seminar on the Sources of Contemporary Law.
Sheikh Palazzi addressed the Seminar on the subject of "Jerusalem: Three-Fold Religious Heritage for
a Contemporary Single Administration". The Seminars were hosted by the Jewish Legal Heritage
Society (then part of the Ministry of Justice) and chaired by Professor Rakover, Deputy Attorney
General of Israel at that time (please see Section Two, Chapter One, of this book).
Now, thirteen years after his first visit to Israel in 1996, Sheikh Palazzi and his wife have returned to
Eretz Yisrael to stand together with the People of Israel at this Time of Jacob's Trouble (Jeremiah
30:7). During this visit the Palazzis especially hope to express their solidarity with Jewish pioneering
men, women and children living in the Jewish Pioneering Communities of the liberated Israelite tribal
territories in Judea, Samaria and the Golan.
Sheikh Palazzi affirms today, as he has always done, that the Qur'an unequivocally states, from
beginning to end, and according to the traditional Muslim commentators, that God gave the Land of
Israel to the Children of Israel.
The Sheikh affirms today, as he has always done, Jewish sovereignty over united Jerusalem and the
Temple Mount, the right of all people to pray on the Temple Mount, and the right of Jews to live
anywhere in the Land of Israel.
435
The Palazzis came to Israel at a time of special personal meaning for me. On Thursday, December 31,
2009, at the end of an old year (2009, according to the Gregorian calendar) and beginning of a new
year (2010, ditto), I published my first book.
Jerusalem, Israel
March 16, 2010 C.E.
436
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Afghanistan
Government of Afghanistan
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Albania
Government of Albania
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Azerbaijan
Embassy of Israel in Azerbaijan
1033 Izmir St.
Baku
Phone: (994-12) 4907881/82
Fax: (994-12) 4907892
baku.mfa.gov.il
info@baku.mfa.gov.il
Government of Azerbaijan
president.az/index.php?lang=en
Mansur, Professor Salim
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University of Western Ontario
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439
England
Afzal, Hassan
British Muslims for Israel
britishmuslimsforisrael.com/
Westrop, Sam
Institute for Middle Eastern Democracy
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Germany
Alrabaa, Dr. Sami
Professor of Sociology
Author, Die Tyrannei der tausend Prinzen ("The Tyranny of a Thousand Princes");
Karin in Saudi Arabia, Veiled Atrocities: True Stories of Oppression in Saudi Arabia
India
Aafreedi, Dr. Navras Jaat
Open Space Fellow, Centre for Communication and Development Studies
openspacelucknow.blogspot.com
Indian Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, R&B Indian Pathan-Israel Fellowship
Lucknow
navrasaafreedi.blogspot.com
aafreedi@gmail.com
Goodword Books
Presenting Islam in the context of modern times
1, Nizamuddin West Market, New Delhi 110013, India
goodwordbooks.com
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Wahid, Dr. Siddiq
Vice-Chancellor, Islamic University of Science and Technology,
Awantipora, Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir
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Indonesia
Abdurrahman Wahid zl (of blessed memory)
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Israel
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Author, Deciphering the Geographic Codes of the Bible
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Cafe Kadosh
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Carmon, Dr. Yigal
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Darshan-Leitner, Nitsana
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Druze Community of Israel
judaism.about.com/od/israelsdruzecommunity/Israels_Druze_Community_Israeli_Druzim.htm
Eder, Dr. Asher
Jewish Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, R&B Islam-Israel Fellowship
Embassy of Albania in Israel
54/26 Rehov Pinkas
Tel Aviv 62261
Phone: 972-354-65866
Fax: 972-3-554-4545
embassy.telaviv@mfa.gov.al
441
Embassy of Kazakhstan in Israel

kazakhemb.org.il/
Embassy of Turkey in Israel
Rehov Ben Yehuda 1
Tel Aviv
Phone: 972-3-517-1731/6157
Fax: 972-3-517-6303
Embassy of Uzbekistan in Israel
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Fogelman, Rabbi Dr. Y'a'akov
Torah Outreach Program
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Founder and Chairman, R&B Noahide Fellowship
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Author, One Man's Story, of Israel's Culture, Society and Politics, from the Perspective of a Bedouin
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Born in New York in the middle of the last Christian century, Reuven grew up in Brooklyn and moved
to Minnesota, hoping to advance his career. He wound up managing restaurants and writing stories,
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Former Deputy Attorney General of the State of Israel
Former Advisor to the Knesset on Jewish Law
Former Professor of Law at Bar-Ilan University
Professor Rakover was the first person to invite Sheikh Palazzi to Israel, after meeting the Sheikh at a
conference in Turkey in 1995. Sheikh Palazzi arrived in Israel for his first visit in July, 1996 as a guest
of Professor Rakover, to address the Third International Seminar on the Sources of Contemporary Law
on the subject of "Jerusalem: Three-Fold Religious Heritage for a Contemporary Single
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Senior Researcher-Research Institute for Innovation in Education,
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Founder and Chairwoman, R&B Lost Tribes Fellowship
msshalva@mscc.huji.ac.il
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Wilder, David
Spokesman, Jewish Community of Hevron
hebron.com/english/
Italy
Palazzi, Sheikh Abdul Hadi
Muslim Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, R&B Islam-Israel Fellowship
mishpativri.org.il
Director, Cultural Institute, Italian Islamic Community
Rome
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islam.inst@alice.it
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D Gel Toxan St.87
Almaty
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Fax: 7-3272-506-283
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Government of Kazakhstan
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Bazian, Hawar
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info@israelkurd.com
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Pakistan
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mail@fazliazeem.com
Tajikistan
Government of Tajikistan
tajik-gateway.org/index.phtml?lang=en&id=904
Turkey
Embassy of Israel in Turkey
Buyukudere CAD
Yapi Kredi Plaza Block C KAT.7 Levent
80620 Istanbul
Phone: (90-212) 317 6500
Fax: (90-212) 317 6555
info@istanbul.mfa.gov.il
Government of Turkey
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Turkic Peoples
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445
United States
Benkin, Dr. Richard L.
Forcefieldnow.org
Chamish, Barry
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Darwish, Nonie
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Rosenbluth, Mrs. Susan
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Publishers and Distributors of the Qur'an
80-08 51st Avenue
Elmhurst, New York 11373
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446
Uzbekistan
Embassy of Israel in Uzbekistan
3, Abdulla Kahhar Street
Tashkent
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Fax: (99871)1205994
operator@tashkent.mfa.gov.il
Government of Uzbekistan
gov.uz/en/
447
448
Endorsements
Navras Jaat Aafreedi, Ph.D.
The City of Abraham: Foundations laid by peace, love and sacrifice; to raise its walls further, Moses,
Christ and Mohammad brought their followers, her minarets adorned by years of labour of artists; their art
will live forever. Today, when I passed through her crowded streets I held back tears. I could not believe
what I saw: Her foundations vomiting blood, her walls wailing in anguish; her minarets were restless, her
residents fighting. I saw a brother killing another.
Khalid Sohail, a Canadian secular humanist Urdu language poet of Pakistani-Muslim origin, only
wishes that he does not have to write such a poem again. He hopes that life changes for the better, that
peace returns to the Promised Land. Whether it be love or hatred, no other nation's name evokes
stronger passions than that of Israel, which explains the violence and unrest that has lingered on in this
land, holy to half of mankind, for so long.
Cracking the Qur'an Code makes an important contribution to man's quest for peace, for Israel in
particular and the world at large.
This book brings to the fore the real meaning of the qur'anic references to Jews and Israel, through their
correct interpretations by the most knowledgeable Qur'anic commentators and translators. It sees
misinterpretation of the Qur'an as the real basis for Muslim antagonism towards Jews and Israel.
This book is dedicated to two angels of peace, two brothers, in spiritual heritage as well as in their
mission of peace. One brother is descended from Isaac, Dr. Asher Eder. The other brother is descended
from Ishmael, Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi
I only wish that Sohail never again has to write a poem such as the following one:
Strange, everything in that city was strange, love was strange and hatred was strange, and all the close
relationships were strange. People were united by their walls, but separated by the gulfs between their
hearts. They were neighbors, but had strange rivalries with each other. They were children of the same
father, looked alike as such, but strangely enough were ready to kill each other. Every moment of silence was
screaming. In the city of sounds there was strange rebellion. Everyone seemed to be made of glass, but the
glass people were also in love with stones. Their faces and clothes were drenched in blood, but the blood had
a strange color. In that city even the tradition of inheritance was strange. Every generation passed on guns
to next generation. It was strange. Everything in that city was strange. Love was strange and hatred was
strange. And all the close relationships were strange.
Dr. Navras Jaat Aafreedi (India)

Researcher in Indo-Judaic Studies & Jewish-Muslim Relations Activist, Indian Co-Founder and CoChairman, Indian R&B Pathan-Israel Fellowship, http://sites.google.com/site/aafreedi/,
openspacelucknow.blogspot.com, navrasaafreedi.blogspot.com, aafreedi@gmail.com
449
Dr. Sami Alrabaa

The late Palestinian leader Yaser Arafat used to call Jews our cousins, cousins of all Arabs. Indeed,
our grand grandfather was the same, Abraham. His firstborn son Ishmael, was the father of all Arabs.
Abraham's son Isaac was the father of all Jews.
Cracking the Qur'an Code is a stimulating reminder that all of us, Arabs and Jews, are of the same
descent and stem from the same tree.
We must all work hard to overcome selfish contemporary political interests and focus on reconciliation.
Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac are certainly sad when they see from heaven how their grandsons and
granddaughters are fighting and killing each other.
I believe that when both Arabs and Jews reflect on our historical roots, we will reconsider our current
political differences and conclude that peace is possible among brothers and sisters.
Dr. Sami Alrabaa (Germany)
Professor of Sociology
Author,
Die Tyrannei der tausend Prinzen ("The Tyranny of a Thousand Princes");
Karin in Saudi Arabia, Veiled Atrocities: True Stories of Oppression in Saudi Arabia
450
Dr. Richard Benkin

Many people who are otherwise among our strongest allies in the existential war against radical
Islamists (Saudi Arabian Wahhabis) insist that Islam itself is the problem in this battle. Not only is that
factually incorrect, but it is also a strategic cul de sac, in that it demonizes a quarter of the worlds
population and declares them to be enemies. Where do you go from there? Nowhere good, I wager.
Moreover, it sets up the same hard and fast fault lines that characterize our adversaries. For good to
prevail, we need a new paradigm.
Cracking the Quran Code helps provide one. While new to many, it actually is a very old paradigm,
which is one of the things that makes it so compelling. Moreover, painstaking research undertaken
toward this noble end has characterized the work of the Root and Branch Association, Ltd.'s IslamIsrael Fellowship, established by Dr. Asher Eder of Jerusalem, Israel, and Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi
of Rome, Italy, in 1997.
My human rights efforts to stop the religio-ethnic cleansing of non-Muslim populations in South Asia
has me entering the homes, villages, and refugee camps of radical jihads (Saudi Arabian
Wahhabism's) victims. At those times, it is not unusualor seemingly unreasonablefor the victims,
their families, and their defenders to give into the urge to blame Islam itself. The spirit of these
dedicated individuals, Dr. Eder and Sheikh Palazzi - who have been my teachers for several years helps us recognize that the perversion of the Quran Code, and not Islam itself, is our enemy.
Please, for the sake of us all, read Cracking the Quran Code!
Dr. Richard L. Benkin (United States)
Forcefieldnow.org
451
Dr. Asher Eder

This book is a beam of light in today's dark world. May its message help lead all of us - Jews,
Christians and Muslims - to see the pristine teachings of our respective sacred scriptures as reflected in
authentic life giving traditions of interpretation, untainted by false theologies and political misuse.
Religion has a bad name, especially in the Western world. This is due to misunderstandings and
misrepresentations of sacred scriptures that led to competing claims about exclusive paths to
salvation and world peace. Refusal to acknowledge legitimacy of other paths led to conflict, chaos
and mass murder in 'religious' wars, such as the Thirty Year's War (1618-1648) between Catholics and
Protestants in Europe.
Today's so-called East-West conflict between Christians and Muslims is at heart a religious conflict.
May this book open the eyes of:
Muslim readers to reconnect with the pristine teachings of their sacred scripture, the Qur'an.
Western and Christian readers to see that the present path of violent jihad proclaimed by many in
today's Muslim world is not supported, and even ruled out, by the authentic teachings of the Qur'an.
'Peace' activists to base their 'peace' activism on authentic religious teachings to be found in Jewish,
Christian and Muslim sacred scriptures and traditions. Attempts to bring 'peace' between peoples that
fail to address the deeper religious roots of conflict will continue to fail, as they have always failed.
May the Creator grace us all with His mercy and help.
Dr. Asher Eder (Israel)
Jewish Co-Founder and Co-Chairman
Islam-Israel Fellowship
Jerusalem, Israel
452
Rabbi Yaakov Kellman

For the Jew and for the Muslim, Cracking the Qur'an Code removes the white elephant from the closet,
and finally we can work together to build a better world, while declaring with all our heart, soul and
might that Israel is the land given by God to the Jewish People, with Jerusalem as its eternal capital.
The pro-Israel community owes eternal gratitude to Dr. Asher Eder and Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi, for
having the courage to walk proudly in partnership when others cower, with the integrity to persevere
down a path that was, until now, lonely and foreboding. Every page of this book bears witness to the
passion of their convictions, modeling relationships that speak volumes toward the healing of the
deepest planetary wounds.
The real power of this book begins as it is shared with those in the Muslim world who truly seek truth,
and continues as it calls the question on each of the distortions and deceptions that stem from those rife
with hatred and greed, whose only hunger is for power and whose only thirst is for control.
May it be God's will that the messages of this book reach deep into the heart, head and feet of all the
victims of the untruths that are being perpetuated in the name of Islam, and that they soon join others
who walk humbly in the light of the One Creator toward fixing the world as the Kingdom of God,
thereby hastening the coming redemption, speedily and in our times.
Rabbi Yaakov Kellman (United States)
Executive Director,
Jewish Educational Resources of New York (J.E.R.N.Y.)
jernymail@jerny.org
theIsraelCenter.org
453
John J. Loftus, Esq.

Every once in a while, a seminal text appears in Islamic-Judeo relations. Cracking the Qur'an Code is
such a book. Based on the teachings of the prominent Sufi cleric, Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi, perhaps
the leading Sunni Muslim cleric in Italy, if not all Europe; and an Israeli educator, Dr. Asher Eder, it
breaks new ground.
More accurately, it reminds us all that we once stood upon the old common ground, where Christians,
Jews and Muslims respected each other as Peoples of the Book.
This is a book worth reading.
John J. Loftus, Esq. (United States)
United States
454

"It is an honor and a pleasure to send a message to welcome the presentation of Cracking the Qur'an
Code, a book on which my dearest friend Lowell Gallin has been working for years.
Cracking the Qur'an Code is a source which permits a deep understanding of how the Qur'an and
traditional Islamic sources confirm the right of the Jewish People to the Land of Israel. This books
helps readers refute opposite claims coming from Wahhabis and other extremist movements.
By studying Cracking the Qur'an Code, the reader will know how to answer those who try to distort
Islam in order to change it into a tool of anti-Israeli propaganda. That is the reason why I strongly
advise every Jew, and every Israeli Jew in particular, to ready this book carefully and to assimilate its
precious contents".
Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi (Italy)
Muslim Co-Founder and Co-Chairman,
www.mishpativri.org.il
Director, Cultural Institute, Italian Islamic Community;
islam.inst@alice.it
www.amislam.com
455
Ralph Peters
My congratulations to all involved in this important breakthrough effort. The disturbed nature of the
world today, exacerbated by those who would pervert and misuse the message of every religion, makes
such endeavors critical to the moral as well as the physical well-being of decent men and women
everywhere. We must give the Root and Branch Association a warm round of applause for reaching out
in so innovative and helpful a manner. This is a small victory for all humankind. Let us hope it will
lead to great victories for peace, faith and civilization.
Ralph Peters (United States)
Author,
The War After Armageddon
456
Susan Rosenbluth
Cracking the Qur'an Code is the fruit of years of effort by the Islam-Israel Fellowship of the Root and
Branch Association. Led by Dr. Asher Eder and Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi, the Fellowship has been
breaking new ground in fostering an understanding of the real messages of the Qur'an and the Bible.
Yasher Koach (Much Strength), Mazal Tov (Good Luck), and congratulations to all concerned.
Susan Rosenbluth (United States)
http:jewishvoiceandopinion.com
457
Aazim Yousufzai
A great responsibility rests upon the Children of Israel and their biological and spiritual descendants of
today. This responsibility is shared by the Jewish People, descendants of the Israelite tribe of Judah, in
the Land of Israel and the Diaspora. It is also shared by those who look to the Jewish People as a source
of inspiration and inner peace.
We Israelites have gone through great hardship and war. Yet here we are today, stronger than ever. Our
main enemy is internal conflict.
Jerusalem, given by God to King David as Israel's capital, is revered until today by Jews, Christians
and Muslims and many others. I speak not only as a Muslim from Pakistan, but as a Son of Israel, from
the Pathan tribe of Yousufzai (Pashto for 'Sons of Yosef'). I represent a migrating family of Pathans
who have traveled through many eras and countries. We were always neighbors with practicing Jews
who treated us as one of them, and we treated them as one of us.
Muslims worldwide pray towards the Ka'ba of Mecca. Jerusalem has been a center of almost
continuous Israelite settlement for almost three thousand years. A multicultural city, it is the heart and
soul of all the Children of Israel. Those who attempt to prevent the Jewish People today from
exercising sovereignty over Jerusalem dishonor the memory of Abraham, forefather of the Jewish,
Christian and Muslim faiths.
I oppose wicked plans to divide Jerusalem, the world's holiest city.
I believe that a united Jerusalem will one day not only be the capital of the State of Israel, Jewish
People worldwide, and the soon-to-be reunited twelve tribes of Israel.
Jerusalem will be the capital of the entire world.
Aazim Yousufzai (Pakistan)
Pakistani Co-Founder and Co-Chairman,
Pakistani R&B Pathan-Israel Fellowship
458
About the Root and Branch Association, Ltd.

The Root and Branch Association, Ltd., founded by Lowell Gallin in 1981, promotes cooperation
between the State of Israel and other nations, and between the Children of Israel and the Children of
Noah (Gentiles), in the Land of Israel and abroad, to build a better world based on faith in the God of
Israel and observance of His Covenants and laws, as commanded by the God of Israel in the Bible and
Jewish Tradition:
Sinai Covenant of the God of Israel
The Sinai Covenant and Laws for the Children of Israel.
Noahide Covenant of the God of Israel
The Noahide Covenant and Laws for the Children of Noah.
God's Land, Torah and People Covenants with the Children of Israel
We affirm the God of Israel's Land, Torah and People Covenants with the Children of Israel:
The God of Israel gave the Land of Israel to the Children of Israel.
The God of Israel gave His Torah to the Children of Israel.
The God of Israel chose the Children of Israel to believe in Him and to live faithfully according to His
Torah in the Land of Israel.
The God of Israel commands all nations
The God of Israel commands all nations to believe in Him, to honor and observe His Noahide Covenant
and Laws, and to honor His Land, Torah and People Covenants with Israel.
These are not policy options. These are commandments.
The time given for compliance with these commandments is not unlimited. It is coming to an end soon.
The nations of the world, and their many organizations and institutions, have no jurisdiction
whatsoever over the Land of Israel. The decisions, ruling and proclamations regarding the Land of
Israel of these nations, organizations and institutions are null and void. They have no objective reality
whatsoever.
I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall blossom as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His
branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his fragrance as Lebanon. They that
dwell under his shadow shall again make corn to grow, and shall blossom as the vine; the scent thereof shall
be as the wine of Lebanon. Hosea 14:6-8
459
460
About the R&B Islam-Israel Fellowship

The Islam-Israel Fellowship of the Root and Branch Association, Ltd., established by Dr. Asher Eder
of Jerusalem, Israel, and Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi of Rome, Italy, in 1997, promotes cooperation
between Muslims and Jews, in the Land of Israel and abroad, to build a better world based on the
traditional teachings of both the Qur'an and Islamic Tradition and the Bible and Jewish Tradition.
Dr. Asher Eder
Jewish Co-Founder and Co-Chairman
Islam-Israel Fellowship
Jerusalem, Israel
mishpativri.org.il
Director, Cultural Institute, Italian Islamic Community
amislam.com
Muslim Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, R&B Islam-Israel Fellowship
islam.inst@alice.it
461
462
Media Interviews and Public Speaking Engagements

Dr. Asher Eder, Lowell Joseph Gallin and Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi
Dr. Eder, Lowell Gallin and Sheikh Palazzi are available for media interviews and public speaking
engagements.
Please contact us at:
lowellgallin.com
To Order More Copies of the this Book

Please visit our website at:
lowellgallin.com
About the Author

I grew up in White Plains, New York. Our family attended Temple Beth Abraham in Tarrytown, New
York, of which they have been members since 1958 (I was born in 1956). I graduated from Hackley
School in 1974, and received my B.A. (with a Special Major in Religion and the Philosophy of
Science) from Swarthmore College in 1979. In 1981, I founded the Root and Branch Association, Ltd. I
made aliyah to Israel with my wife and our two girls in April, 1992, where we live in Givat Chananiya
(Abu Tor), Jerusalem. I have been a member of the Foreign Press Association (F.P.A.) in Israel since
1992. Please see the Awards and Citations section of the F.P.A. website ("2010 - Congratulations to the
following members", last paragraph starting "Congratulations to Lowell Gallin on the publication of his
first book..."): http://www.fpa.org.il/?categoryId=433
Founder and President,
lowellgallin.com
463
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CRACKING THE QUR'AN CODE

Cracking the Qur'an Code

Lowell Joseph Gallin

Cracking the Qur'an Code:

Cracking the Qur'an Code

Praise for Cracking the Qur'an Code

Section One - Dr. Asher Eder of Jerusalem, Israel

Peace is Possible between Ishmael and Israel according to the

Chapter One Jerusalem: Three-Fold Religious Heritage for a

Chapter Two Orthodox Islamic Perceptions of Jihad. Address to the

Chapter Three Osama Bin Laden

God's Land Covenant with Israel

God's Torah Covenant with Israel

God's People Covenant with Israel

Jerusalem: Eternal Capital of the Israelite Kingdom of

Lowell Joseph Gallin

The Tabernacle and the First, Second and

Section Four Central Asia

Chapter One From the Bosporus to the Borders of China:

Chapter Two From the Bosporus to the Borders of China:

Chapter One Talk to Westchester-Rockland County Chapter of

Chapter Two Message to Egyptian Freedom Fighters from an

About the Root and Branch Association, Ltd.

About the R&B Islam-Israel Fellowship

To Order More Copies of this Book

About the Author, Lowell Joseph Gallin

Cracking the Qur'an Code

Preface to the Second Edition

Lowell Joseph Gallin

Maikel Nabil Sanad http://www.maikelnabil.com/2007/12/welcome.html, Egyptian Coptic Christian

Cracking the Qur'an Code

Praise for Cracking the Qur'an Code

Dr. Sami Alrabaa

Lowell Joseph Gallin

Dr. Richard Benkin

Dr. Asher Eder

Cracking the Qur'an Code

Rabbi Yaakov Kellman

Lowell Joseph Gallin

Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi

Cracking the Qur'an Code

Lowell Joseph Gallin

Cracking the Qur'an Code

May the memory of Abdurrahman Wahid forever be for a blessing.

Lowell Joseph Gallin

Cracking the Qur'an Code

Lowell Joseph Gallin

Cracking the Qur'an Code

Lowell Joseph Gallin

Cracking the Qur'an Code

Lowell Joseph Gallin

Cracking the Qur'an Code

Lowell Joseph Gallin

Cracking the Qur'an Code

Lowell Joseph Gallin

Introduction to Section One

Cracking the Qur'an Code

Peace is Possible between Ishmael and Israel according to

Lowell Joseph Gallin

Introduction to Peace is Possible

Cracking the Qur'an Code

Dr. Asher Eder